


Making it McKono

by supernaturally_marvelous



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Mckono
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 48,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23766901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernaturally_marvelous/pseuds/supernaturally_marvelous
Summary: A while back, bgharison started making episodes of Hawaii Five-0 more McKono centric. I've decided to do my own version of that. Each chapter will focus on a different episode. Some will be more lighthearted than others. - Completed
Relationships: Kono Kalakaua/Steve McGarrett
Comments: 32
Kudos: 40





	1. 4x13

**4x13 Hana Lokomaika'i**

"How are you?" Steve broke the silence. They had been sitting outside of the interrogation room for 20 minutes, tensely waiting for Chin to finish talking to IA.

"I'm...good," she said.

"You don't sound too sure," he observed. She sighed, sinking deeper into the chair. She wasn't even sure how she was doing, to be completely honest.

"It's been a week since Adam and I got back to Hawaii," she started. She wasn't looking looking at him, but she could feel his eyes on her. "He doesn't trust me. And to be honest, I don't trust him either. He left to protect me, but I can't help but think he put me in danger anyway. He put all of us in danger. For God's sake, he duct taped me to a chair because he ordered a hit on Wo Fat, knowing full well that meant taking you out too. He knew I'd do anything to protect you. He lied to me again and again. I love him, but…" she trailed off.

"I didn't know he duct taped you to a chair," Steve said quietly.

"Chin found me. I asked him not to tell you guys," she admitted.

"God, Kono. I'd have shot him myself if I had known," he said. She finally turned to look at Steve, making eye contact for the first time.

"He wants me to marry him," she said. For all of Steve's training, he still flinched when she said it.

"Look, I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. But if you don't know that you want to marry him, then maybe…" he didn't finish his sentence.

"I know. I've got to break up with him," she said.

"Hey, don't do it just because I said it," he told her. She shook her head, looking away from him. He could see the tears that she was fighting back.

"I've known for a while. I just don't want to let him go," she admitted. She instantly cut her emotions off when Chin came barreling out of the interrogation room.

"Hey, Chin. This is what they do, try to get under your skin," she said, standing up to follow him. Steve had done the same.

After they had calmed Chin down and sent him back into the room, Steve turned to Kono. She didn't make eye contact with him.

"Kono," he said, his commanding voice forcing her to look at him. She could see the unshed tears in her eyes. "Let yourself feel it. It'll be worse if you don't. Trust me." She blinked, and the tears were there, forcing themselves out. He wrapped her in his arms. He felt her gently crying, the tears being absorbed by his suit jacket.

"I'm sorry," she said, finally pulling away. He held her still, not ready to let go yet. He gently wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"Never apologize for mourning, Kono. You've been through a lot with Adam. It's hard to let go," he said.

"Yeah. Thanks," she said.

"Any time," he told her gently, finally letting her go. They sat back down to wait.

"Your father would be furious if he knew what IA was putting Chin through. That case 15 years ago was hard for everyone involved," Kono said after a while of silence.

"Yeah, he would be. How well did you know my father?" Steve asked, turning to look at her. She shrugged.

"He may have been just Chin's training officer, but he came to a lot of my surfing competitions. My dad was in poor health; he couldn't do everything fathers should get to do for their daughters. Chin stepped in where he could. But your dad was always ready to pick up the slack. He's actually the one that took me shooting for the first time, but I'm pretty sure Chin doesn't know about that, so I let him think it was him," she said. She smiled at Steve. He was smiling too. "He was a great man," she told Steve. He nodded.

"Yeah he was." His smile turned sadder.

"Do you want to know another fun fact?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. Steve turned to look at her, amusement causing his eyes to crinkle.

"I saw you play football. I was very little. Only 6 or 7. And Chin brought me to a game. It's what made me fall in love with the sport actually. I didn't realize until recently that you were the starting quarterback at the game I went to," she said.

"No way," he said, smiling at the mischief in her eyes.

"Of course I believed Chin when he told me that no one would play quarterback better than he did," she teased Steve.

"Yeah, yeah. You were young. You didn't know any better," he told her, brushing it off.

"I did think you were cute though," she said, a smirk on her face. Before he could respond, Chin came back out of the interrogation room. Steve filed her little comment away to analyze at a later time, though he was halfway sure he probably should brush it off and never think about it again.

He probably should have done just that because after that, he couldn't stop thinking about what Kono meant and what she might think of him now.

He'd never know it, but Kono's internal monologue when Steve was around was usually something similar to: _He's too goddamn attractive for my own good._


	2. 5x03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are hopefully going to all stick to the same timeline. We'll see. They're all kind of leading up to established McKono I think.

**5X03 Kanalu Hope Loa**

Kono really could not believe Steve McGarrett had bought her a bikini. The guy had balls if he thought she would hear the tiny string bikini he had bought her. She shook her head and stepped out of her car, keeping a well-trained eye out for anyone who might be their suspects.

A little less than an hour later, Chin leaned into Steve's office.

"Kono caught one," he said. Steve followed him out. "How'd she get her?" he asked. Chin shook his head, laughing.

"She chased the girl into a wave and then tackled her off her board. Poor girl thought she could outrun Kono on a surfboard," he said. Steve's eyebrows shot up, impressed.

"Pursuit by surfboard. That's a first," Steve admitted.

As if on cue, Kono walked in still wearing her bikini.

"You owe me," she said, pointing an accusing finger at Steve.

"I knew you were the best one for the job. She's all yours to interrogate," he told her, leaning on the table. Kono tried to maintain her glare, but Steve and Chin both saw her eyes light up at the prospect of an interrogation.

"Fine," she agreed, starting to head back out.

"But Kono?" Steve said. She stopped.

"Yeah?" she said. He grinned at her.

"Probably should change out of the bikini first," he told her, only half-teasing.

"Shut up," she said. Both men laughed as she stormed away.

"Somehow, she's still intimidating, even with a bikini on," Steve observed.

"No surprises there," Chin agreed, turning back to the table to see the information coming in from HPD. They had identified the girl Kono brought in.

* * *

"The cousin just flipped on the other two girls. We got an address. Let's go," Steve said. Kono followed him out of the interrogation room.

"Great work today," he told her as they walked side-by-side.

"Shut up," she said, assuming he was still teasing her.

"I'm serious. There's not many people that could tackle someone mid-wave," he said.

They stepped into the elevator. Kono turned to look at him.

"Wasn't that hard," she shrugged her shoulders.

Steve could not for the life of him get the image of Kono tackling a girl wearing only her bikini while on her surfboard out of his mind. He hadn't even been there for God's sake.

"Still, great job," he told her. She smiled at the compliment, finally accepting it.

"Thanks," she said. The elevator reached their destination, leaving no more time to talk.

* * *

"Got it!" Kono called over comms. Steve had no time to figure out what she had before he heard a gunshot and a man crashed into his truck. He looked back briefly to see Kono half out of the car, before the car had even come to a stop.

"Damn," Grover said, voicing Steve's thoughts exactly. That was hot. Steve's brain added on helpfully. He shook that thought away, refocusing on the hostage situation they were walking in on.

Twenty minutes later, Steve stood looking at the truck.

"Damn, Kono," he said out loud. He heard a laugh and realized she had been walking up behind him.

"Sorry, boss," she said. "Payback's a bitch." She shrugged her shoulders and patted his arm and walked away without looking back. Steve tried to stop his mouth from falling open, but he failed. Lou's bellowing laughter came from behind the truck.

"She's got you there, man," Grover told Steve, shrugging his shoulders. "You bought the girl a tiny string bikini and made her go undercover. This was the least she could do."

Steve shook his head again. There was only one thing he could think to say. "Damn, Kono," he said again, wondering what comment Danny would make about him turning into a parrot.

* * *

Steve hung up from his call with Danny. He could see Kono still in her office, typing away on her computer. He stood up and walked to her door. He leaned on the doorframe in front of her. She didn't look up.

"Kono, go home," he said. She barely blinked as her fingers flew over her keyboard. He stood, waiting, to see if she would acknowledge his presence.

"I just needed to finish up some paperwork from today," she said finally.

"Since when do you willingly do paperwork the day of the case?" Steve asked. She sat back in her chair, looking suddenly very small and vulnerable.

"Since I realized that I have no friends outside of this team. My house feels...lonely," she admitted.

"You mean since you broke things off with Adam," he inferred. She wouldn't make eye contact with him. He could see the unshed tears behind her eyes.

"Yeah," she admitted. When they had come back to the island from Vancouver things had been great at first. Then Kono had realized that Adam was selfish. He had placed himself above her again and again. He had put her life and the lives of her friends at risk. He desperately wanted her to marry him. And felt distrustful of him, though she couldn't explain why. And worst of all? He didn't see the problem with endangering the lives of the people she cared about. She had broken things off shortly after they'd returned to Hawaii together.

"Come on," he said decisively.

"What? Where?" she asked.

"You'll see. Just come on. You need to get out of here," he said. She reluctantly followed him out the door. He closed the door and locked up behind them. Twenty minutes later they pulled up in front of his house.

"Boss, this is your house," she pointed out, looking skeptical. Steve looked at her, with a face he usually reserved for Danny.

"That's excellent detective work," he said sarcastically. She gave him a look, trying to figure out why exactly they were here. He didn't give her an answer. He got out of the SUV he'd borrowed from HPD and went into his house. She had no choice but to follow. He kicked off his shoes and grabbed two beers from the kitchen. She followed suit, leaving her shoes at the front door. She followed him in silence to the back of the house. He flopped into one of the chairs in his yard and motioned for her to do the same. She did as requested, and he handed her the other beer. After a few sips, he finally spoke.

"Sometimes, at the end of the day, it's hard coming home alone. Trust me, I get it. It helps me to be here, by the water, watching the tide come up, knowing that the ocean is a constant in my life. It's always been here, and it always will be," he admitted. She watched him as he looked out over the water. Steve was being vulnerable, and it was a rare moment for him. She tried not to overthink anything. She finally turned her face to the water and closed her eyes. The smell was comfortable and familiar. The sound of the waves was soothing. She felt connected with the ocean.

Steve watched her, seeing her relax as she sat there next to him with her eyes closed, just enjoying the sensation of sitting by the water. Suddenly, she surprised him when she jumped up. She pulled her shirt off, revealing she was still wearing her bikini underneath (not the one he had bought, which was a little disappointing, if he was honest.) She shimmied out of her cargo pants.

"What are you doing?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice. She grinned at him.

"I'm going swimming. You coming?" she asked. He was upstairs and changed into his trunks in record time. He followed her in, allowing the salt water to envelop him. They spent the better part of an hour in the water, splashing each other, laughing, and floating. Darkness started to set in, and it began to cool off. They got out, and he disappeared into the house to reappear with towels in short order. He handed her one, and she wrapped herself in it. They picked up where they had left off on their beers, but this time they went inside. She drifted off to sleep after she had finished the Chinese food he had ordered for them. The movie they had started was still going on the TV. Steve smiled and tucked a blanket around her, turning the TV off and going upstairs toward his own bed. He stopped for a minute on the stairs and watched her sleeping peacefully on the couch. He couldn't pinpoint when, but at some point, something had changed between them. She wasn't just the rookie who worked for him. She was someone that was important to him, that he needed to protect and cared deeply about. He knew that was a dangerous route to go down, so he chose to shake his head and go upstairs. Though for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about what Kono would have looked like in that tiny bikini.


	3. 5x07

**5x07 Ina Paha**

Kono gritted her teeth. She knew she didn't have to do this. Danny had told her he'd gladly go kick Adam's teeth in, and Chin had stood there silently, a deadly look on his face. But she needed to do this. She caught Adam right as he was about to pull out of his driveway.

"Hey, Kono," he said. She cut him off.

"Don't this isn't a social call, Adam. What do you know about Anthony Shu?" she asked.

"I've never heard of him. Why? What's this about?" Adam asked. She resisted the urge to throw him against the car and ask again.

"He's an investor in one of your father's companies. According to Sang Min, that's the alias Wo Fat uses to do business in the United States. And this morning, Wo Fat abducted McGarrett," Kono said. Adam had the decency to look shocked, at least.

"I'll go to the office right now, see what I can find. I'll send it right over," he promised.

"Great," Kono said, heading back toward her car.

"Kono, wait. We should talk," Adam tried.

"I'm not really interested in talking, Adam. Things are done between us. There's nothing else to say," she said.

"If I help you with this, you at least owe me a conversation," he protested. She closed her eyes, focusing on not hurting him for that threat.

"Was that a threat?" Kono asked.

"Please," Adam said.

"Fine. You help us find Steve, and we can have one conversation," she agreed. With that, she got back into her car and drove away.

* * *

Less than an hour later they had a location on Wo Fat. Adam sent the information he had promised. Not long after that, they were busting open the warehouse that had once been part of a dry cleaning building.

Kono was worried. More worried than she expected to be. This wasn't the first time Steve had been put in a dangerous situation, but she couldn't help but fear the worst this time. They found him.

"Where's my father?" he asked Danny, confusion lacing his voice.

"Buddy, your dad died four years ago," Danny said, concern evident on his face. Steve made eye contact with her over Danny's shoulder. He relaxed, seeing her, though he didn't know why it was her that put him at peace.

"It's okay. You're safe. We're going to get you out of here," Danny said, helping him up. Danny and Chin carried him out, but Kono was right there, making sure their path was clear. She and Danny rode with him to the hospital. She was grateful that no one asked any questions. Danny sat in silence, and Kono held Steve's hand, not sure why she was doing it. The medic nodded at her.

"You're keeping him relaxed. That's good," the man assured her. They had given Steve a mild sedative, and he had thrashed about, upset at first. Danny and Kono comforted him, keeping him calm the rest of the way to the hospital. They rushed Steve away when they got there, and Kono found tears running down her face. Danny noticed immediately and pulled her into a hug.

"He's gonna be okay," he told her.

"I know. I just...I thought we were going to lose him. I was terrified we'd find his body in there," she said through the tears.

"But we didn't. Our boy is strong. He's going to be fine," Danny assured her. They sat together, waiting. Chin and Grover called to assure them that they had everything at the office all taken care of, and they'd be over shortly if they hadn't heard otherwise.

"Detective Williams," a doctor called out. Danny rose, and Kono went with him.

"Commander McGarrett will be just fine. He has a concussion and some mild burns. I'm afraid he's still a little disoriented from the drugs they dosed him with. He can go home tonight, but it would be wise if he didn't go home alone," the doctor told them. Danny pressed his lips together and then sighed.

"I was supposed to have Grace tonight, but I'll call Rachel and tell her that-" he started to say.

"I'll stay with him," Kono cut him off.

"Are you sure? I mean Grover would let him stay at their house, or he could stay with Chin and Jerry," Danny said. Kono shook her head.

"Steve will want to go home. Unfamiliar surroundings will only confuse him. It's fine. I know where things are there. I'll make sure he's comfortable," she assured him.

Chin and Grover came to the hospital. Grover drove Steve's truck over and gave Kono the keys. He gave a nurse Steve's spare change of clothes. Shortly after that, the nurse brought Steve out. She gave Kono strict instructions about pain meds and instructed her to make sure Steve drank a lot of water. Danny wheeled Steve out to his truck, and for once, Steve didn't protest. Chin and Grover helped Steve into the truck. Chin hugged Kono once Steve was in the truck.

"He needs you," he whispered in her ear.

"I know," she said quietly back.

"Take care of him," Chin told her as they parted.

"I will," she assured him.

"Good luck," Danny told her. She smiled, trying to be cheerful. Her smile only came off as sad and exhausted. The three men went towards Chin's car. Kono turned and saw Steve watching her from the passenger seat of his truck. She got into the driver's seat.

"You really don't have to come home with me," he told her. She gave him a very pointed look.

"Yes, I do," she said. She started the truck. They drove in silence for a couple of minutes.

"I'm glad it's you," Steve said quietly, almost drowned out by the sound of the truck's engine. She looked over at him. He was watching her. His eyes were sunken in. His face looked more hollow than normal. He looked exhausted.

"Me too," she told him. They drove the rest of the way in silence. She helped him out of the truck and into his house once they got there. They stopped in the doorway.

"Do you want the bed or the couch?" she asked. He looked at the stairs. They looked menacing, given how exhausted he felt.

"Bed," he said. She helped him slowly up the stairs. He collapsed into bed when they finally got there.

"I'll be right back. Don't go to sleep yet," Kono told him. She was back with a glass of water and a pill in less than a minute. She sat on the bed next to him.

"Drink," she said, giving him the cup and the pill. He hesitated before taking the pill and chugging the entire glass. She set it on the bedside table. Then she moved down to his feet and unlaced his boots. She set them neatly beside the bed, knowing he'd be annoyed if he woke up in the morning and they were thrown across the room, like she would usually do with hers. He sat up gingerly.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He didn't answer, but in a few moments she knew. He pulled his shirt off and tossed it, surprising her.

"I can't sleep clothed," he admitted. She smiled, seeing a blush on his cheeks.

"Alright. I'll be right downstairs if you need me," she said.

"Don't," he said, reaching for her hand. The terror in his voice caused her to go still. When she looked at him again she saw desperation and fear. She took her own boots off and moved to lay down next to him.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him gently. "I'm right here."

"The drugs they gave me...I was hallucinating a world where Victor Hesse never killed my father. HPD got there, and Danny saved him. Everyone was there. Chin was a captain at HPD. Danny was this insane cop from New Jersey who loved Hawaii and shot Hesse to get him to give up Wo Fat's name. Grover was furious that someone had taken his golf clubs. And you - you were a successful surfer in this commercial on TV promoting lip gloss," he said.

"Sounds horrible," Kono observed, only half-teasing.

"I knew. As I was hallucinating, I could feel that everything was wrong. Every part of me was screaming that it wasn't real. The only thing that felt right was having my father there, having him tell me that he was proud of me," Steve admitted. His voice caught in his throat as he felt tears force their way out.

"Hey," she said, sitting up to look at him, "Your dad may be gone, but he is always here with you. He's a part of you. He's the reason Chin is such a great cop. He's the reason I learned to shoot so well. None of us would be here without him. And, Steve, don't ever forget that your dad was so proud of you," she told him, feeling tears spring to her own eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered hoarsely. She laid her head on his shoulder, letting her own tears fall as she felt his breathing even out as the meds took effect.

* * *

Kono woke to find Steve's arms protectively encircling her body. Her back was up against his chest. She took a second to ponder how appropriate this probably was in the scheme of things. She gently removed his hands and got out of bed. Making her way downstairs, she snagged her cell phone from where she'd left it in the kitchen. One missed call from Adam and two text messages. The first one was from Chin telling her that he'd dropped her car off at Steve's early that morning. The second text message was from Danny and said, _We're all taking the day off. Don't let Steve come in._ She smiled and texted him back. _I'll handcuff him to a chair if I have to. ;)_ She knew that'd send Danny in a tizzy trying to forget the thought of her handcuffing Steve for any reason.

She started the coffee brewing before she called Adam back.

"Hey, Kono. Do you want to go grab lunch or something so we can talk?" his familiar voice said, when he picked up. She took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"No, Adam. I do not. This is our conversation right now. If you have something to say, you have the next 60 seconds to do so. After that, I'm done listening," she said. The coffee started to trickle into the pot, and she felt reassured by the smell of it filling the air.

"Kono, I don't know what happened. I know I rushed the idea of marriage, but I thought things were good between us. You tracked me down to Canada, so I thought we meant something to each other. It really hurt when you left me. I love you, Kono. I don't want to lose you, and if there's anything I can do to make things right between us, just say the word, and I'll do it," Adam confessed. Kono sighed.

"You don't get it, Adam. I can't trust you. You've lied, you've put your own self-interest first. You've put me in danger, and worse still, you put the lives of the people I care about in danger," she said.

"This is about McGarrett isn't it?" Adam asked. Kono didn't answer, wasn't sure how to answer. "There's something between you two." Kono still didn't respond. "Goodbye, Kono."

"Bye, Adam," she said, hanging up. Taking a deep breath, she poured herself a cup of coffee, feeling reassured by the feeling of the cup in her hands.

"Hey," Steve's voice startled her. He was shirtless still, wearing only a pair of cotton athletic shorts slung dangerously low over his hips. Kono had to remind herself to remain focused on his face, where his eyes were looking at her curiously.

"Good morning," she said, clearing her throat. She turned away, reaching for a glass from the cabinet. "You need to drink a lot of water and take some more meds," she said, distracting herself.

"Just the water will be fine. And a cup of that coffee," he said. She rolled her eyes.

"You've got to take pain meds," she said, turning around with the glass of water in her hand. He had moved closer to her now. She felt her stomach do a flip at how close he was to her. This was ridiculous; he hadn't been wearing a shirt last night when they lay in his bed together. _But last night he was exhausted and on pain medicine. Today, he's perfectly conscious and able to do a lot more,_ her brain helpfully reminded her.

"No, I don't need them. Besides, I can't go to work if I'm on meds," he said. She laughed.

"Danny already texted. We're all taking the day off. Drink," she said, handing him the glass. He chugged it all in one go, just so that he could argue with her.

"I'm not going to sit here all day and do nothing," he said.

"Well, you're not going to work either," she said, leaning against the cabinet. This was a battle with him that she would win, whether he liked it or not.

"Was that Adam?" Steve redirected, trying to catch her off guard. It worked. It took all of her self-control to not flinch.

"Yeah. He helped us find you yesterday. He wanted to make sure we had found you," she lied.

"That's nice of him," Steve said, though he didn't sound convinced. He started reaching for a pan and pulled some eggs out of the refrigerator. When he bent over to peer into the fridge, she swallowed hard. "Well, if we're not going to work, then I guess we'll have to find something else to do," he said. She almost choked on her coffee. Just as she was trying to formulate a response, the doorbell rang. She almost flew to the door. Behind it stood Danny with Grace. She had never been more glad to see the talkative detective in her life.

"Oh great, the relief team is here," she teased.

"Yeah, we figured you might want to go home, grab a shower. You know," Danny said. Grace invited herself in, heading toward the kitchen where Steve was making eggs.

"How'd it go?" Danny asked quietly as soon as his daughter was out of earshot.

"Good. He told me what happened. They gave him a hallucinogen, Danny. It wasn't good," she said.

"Poor guy," Danny said, shaking his head. "But I'm sure you made great company," he said teasingly.

"Well, I'm filthy. You take care of babysitting. I'm going to go home. He doesn't want to take any more pain meds, so it's your turn," she said. She turned to the spot where she usually left her shoes if she took them off here. There was a moment of horror when she realized where they were. She looked over to where Danny stood, his eyebrows up and a little grin on his face.

"Go on. Go upstairs and get your shoes from Steve's bedroom," he said, the grin growing wider the more flustered she got.

"It's not...That's not...We didn't…" she spluttered.

"Sure, babe. Sure," Danny told her. With that, he left her speechless as he walked toward the kitchen.

"Alright, what kind of food is Uncle Steve burning today?" he called. She was horrified that Danny had caught her like that, but part of her wished it had at least been worth it. If Danny was going to catch her sleeping in Steve's bed, they could have at least done something inappropriate to warrant Danny's judgement.

_Another time,_ her brain said.

"Shut up," she muttered to herself. She tried her hardest not to think about the way Steve's pants sat on his hips or the protective way his arms had held her last night as she saw herself out and drove herself home.


	4. 5x11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for Steve suggesting Kono go undercover. I just can't get over the goofy look he gets on his face every time. No shame here. Also, I appreciate your reviews! It's been a while since I've written anything other than college essays, so this has been fun, and I love hearing feedback!

**5x11 Ua'aihue**

Kono knew she wasn't going to like this woman from the moment she stepped in the door. There was something about her...and it wasn't just the way she was checking Steve out every time he wasn't paying attention. She was right. Her instincts were spot on as usual.

"See, on paper he's clean. A respected art appraiser. But to insiders, he's a black market facilitator, dealing in stolen art and high-end forgeries. He's also a notorious perv," Nicole said. Kono was waiting for the plan. She could see Steve already had one going in his head.

"Good. We'll be able to get some leverage on him. We just need some bait," Steve said. He turned to look at her. There it was. She knew something was coming. Steve smiled at her.

"Oh no," she said.

* * *

Kono had to admit, she was good at undercover work. Steve in a nice suit was always a plus as well. She caught sight of Hirsch. Looking over, Steve had seen him too. She winked at him, and he nodded slightly, giving her the go ahead. She couldn't say she wasn't a little bit distracted by the way Steve's button up revealed just a peek of his chest. She steeled herself and approached Hirsch.

Steve knew he shouldn't be irritated. This was his idea after all. But Kono looked so good in that dress and heels. She was playing Hirsch like a fiddle, which again was his idea. But she didn't have to be so good at it. He squashed the jealousy rising, which he knew he shouldn't feel to begin with. He scanned the crowd just in time to notice the racket taking place at the door.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," he said, recognizing Jerry.

The op worked flawlessly, no surprise. It wasn't long before they were standing at Five-0 headquarters. Kono was smirking as she told them the name of the man whose party they were going to infiltrate. Steve watched her, seeing how eager she was to go undercover again. Steve was less than thrilled, but they were right.

"Alright, I want us inside that party when Janssen shows up," he confirmed. Kono informed them that she had already arranged for that very plan. Did she know that's what they'd do because it was the most obvious choice or because she wanted to go back undercover? Steve wasn't sure.

"I'll find something to wear," she had said before she disappeared. And damn, did she find something, alright. Steve remained focused, trying to not let Kono distract him. It was all going well, until it wasn't. Communication went down. Before they could get inside, they were cut off. And Chin and Kono were in there with the hostage takers.

His team worked quickly and efficiently. Steve tried not to let it show how worried he was. They needed Commander Steve McGarrett, Navy SEAL right now, not Steve, the idiot boss who might be falling for his subordinate. He tried to shake that thought off. That was another problem for another time. As soon as Jerry reestablished communication, he started formulating possible plans. It didn't take long for the men inside to realize that Chin and Kono were broadcasting out. Everything happened pretty quickly after that. Before they even realized what was happening, the hostages were pouring out of the building. This time Five-0 was just a half-step ahead of the bad guys. They almost had Janssen. And then Jerry did get Janssen good. Steve hadn't seen that one coming. As soon as he was in custody, and he was sure Jerry was okay, he searched the crowd for Kono. He knew he shouldn't interrupt her. She was in the middle of the crowd, making sure people were being treated for shock and other minor ailments. He really meant to leave her be, but he was striding toward her suddenly before he could process what he was doing. He wrapped her in his arms, and she let him, surprisingly.

"I'm okay," she reassured him, from her spot being half-suffocated in his arms.

"I know. But I was worried. When they realized you guys were cops, I thought for sure they'd…" he trailed off. Finally, he let her go. She held him still and looked him in the eye.

"I'm fine. And don't you dare start thinking this is your fault because you sent us in there. We are adults, capable of making our own decisions. And you and I both know that if you hadn't sent me in there, I'd have gone in anyway," she said. He smiled. She was right, of course. And somehow, she'd known that he was already thinking that this was his fault, and if she'd been killed, he would have been responsible.

"You're right. Now come on. We've got to wrap this up because we've got a shrimp cook-off to get to," he said. She grinned.

"Now you're talking," she said. As if on cue her stomach rumbled, reminding her she hadn't eaten all day. They walked away together, neither one of them noticing that they were still holding hands.


	5. 5x14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this is a short one. But I really just loved Kono saving the day in this episode. And Steve's line. Gah, kill me. They're too perfect together.
> 
> Also fair warning, a character has a panic attack in this chapter. I want y'all to know that this is not something I take lightly, and I wanted people to know before they read the chapter.

**5x14 Powehiwehi**

They worked the case, followed the leads. It was no one's fault that they had been tricked. None of them could have seen this coming. Kono was in danger again. This time, Steve had asked her to stay at the hospital to keep an eye on Dekker. They had put Danielle into the hospital in protective custody, not knowing she was the killer, Roman, they'd been looking for.

Kono was not answering her phone. "She'll be okay, Steve. She can take care of herself," Chin said as they were throwing gearing on.

"If something happens to her…" he started. He didn't finish, but he didn't have to. Chin knew. Steve was in love with her. He'd never admit it to anyone, least of all Kono, but Chin knew. If something happened to her because of calls he had made, it would destroy him. Steve drove like a madman on the way over.

Chin's reminder proved correct as they stormed the hospital, guns ready. And found nothing. It was quiet. They found Dekker and Kono as they rounded a corner. Kono looked beat up, but alive, thankfully.

"She's back there," she told them, sounding exhausted.

Chin and Steve took Dekker from her.

"So I guess you didn't need the cavalry, huh?" Grover asked. He sounded impressed.

"Sister's badass," Dekker said. Steve looked at her over his shoulder. His breath caught in his throat when they made eye contact.

"You don't have to tell us that," Steve said. She nodded, reassuring him that she was fine. Still, Steve handed Dekker off to Morrison and turned back around. He hugged her. She collapsed into his arms. Grover kept walking, leaving them in the hallway alone.

"I was so worried. When we found out she was Roman…" he said. He shuddered, his breathing coming in panicked breaths just thinking about what could have happened.

"Hey, I'm okay. Just breathe," she said. But he couldn't. He couldn't breathe. Before he could understand what was happening, she had figured it out. Steve was having a panic attack. "Hey, I need you to focus on me. There you go. Listen to my voice. I'm here," she said. Steve still felt like his chest was about to collapse.

"Distract me," he managed to get out. She did. She kissed him. The moment she did, his panic attack stopped. He had no time to think of anything except her. She was his whole world. The kiss felt like it lasted forever, but in reality it was only a couple of seconds.

She pulled away first. "I'm going to go," she said. She turned and practically ran away from him. He stood standing in the hallway. This time his breathing was labored for an entirely different reason. He couldn't help the smile that filled his face. That definitely shouldn't have happened. But he couldn't stop thinking about it, about her.


	6. 5x17

**5x17 Kuka'awale**

"I'm sorry, did you just say that you guys spent three hours watching lesbians have sex?" Kono asked incredulously.

"It sounds worse than it is," Danny said. Kono was glad they couldn't see her face. Steve's voice came from the cell phone.

"Yeah, trust me. It's not what it sounds like. Danny slept, I kept watch-" he started to say.

"So you spent three hours watching the lesbian sex while Danny slept?" she asked.

"We shouldn't have told her," Danny said.

"It's important! Emma Mills and Mia Price were in on it together. That's vital information," Steve protested. Kono could almost see the two of them bickering.

"Oh, has she heard about Mrs. Tennenbaum?" Danny asked, glee in his voice.

"I'm hanging up now," Steve said.

"She thought we were a gay couple," Danny managed to get out before Steve did hang up. Kono chortled with laughter. Those two were going to kill each other stuck in that apartment.

* * *

"Are you ever going to tell her?" Danny asked. Steve squinted at his partner, trying to figure out what he was talking about now.

"Tell who what?" he finally asked.

"Tell Kono that you're in love with her, you schmuck," Danny said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry what? I'm not in love with...Wow, Danny...You can't just... " Steve spluttered and wished yet again that Danny would use regular interrogation techniques sometimes instead of being so honest. At least those he was trained to handle. He made a mental note of that. The Navy needed to add Danny Williams' bluntness to the list of interrogation techniques.

"Steven, even Chin knows. You and Kono are the only ones who haven't talked about this," Danny said. Steve set his jaw, trying to figure out what to say.

"I'm her boss, Danny," was the response he finally opted for. "Even if there was something between us, I can't let it happen. I'm her superior officer. It wouldn't be appropriate."

"I can't believe you chose this moment to get police procedure right. What happened to Steve 'I do whatever the hell I want' McGarrett?" Danny finally said after a period of silence.

"Danny, you know as well as I do that if anyone even suspected that I had feelings for her, which I am not confirming by the way, people would hate her even more than they already do. I'm sure people at HPD already think she slept her way into Five-0. I can't imagine what they'd do if we actually were sleeping together," Steve said. He had spent months trying to put the thought of sleeping with Kono out of his mind, so he really appreciated Danny bringing it up. The closest he'd gotten to doing anything about it was that morning in his kitchen after she'd slept in his bed. He'd been injured, she'd been ignoring the growing tension between them. Danny had ruined that too. Well, there was that and the kiss.

"You're right. They probably do say that. But every single one of them knows that if they were stupid enough to say it to her face, she'd make sure they'd never have children. They may say stupid things behind her back, but they all know she earns her place with us by how kickass she is," Danny argued. "Wait, why do you have that goofy look on your face? Why are you smiling? What happened? Confess," Danny demanded. Steve looked away, trying to figure out if he should divulge this much information.

"We kissed," he said. He thought Danny was having a seizure for a minute.

"You _what? When?_ " he finally asked when he was sitting fully upright.

"It was while you were in Jersey. Kono got trapped in the hospital with a dangerous hitwoman and Dekker. When we came for her, I was so scared, man. I thought she was going to die. After everyone had walked away, I was having a panic attack. I told her to distract me. And she kissed me. It was incredible, Danny. But she's been avoiding me since then. She won't even make eye contact with me anymore," Steve explained. There was a period of silence before Danny said anything.

"You idiot. You're so head-over-heels for her," he said. Steve didn't bother arguing anymore. Danny was right, and he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

"We got movement," he said, distracting them both from the conversation as they saw their target moving in her apartment across the street.


	7. 5x18

**5x18 Pono Kaulike**

As soon as Kono found out that Chin had been arrested, she forgot all awkwardness she had been feeling about talking to Steve. She walked in to where Steve and Joe were standing, talking about Danny's arrest.

"Steve, I just got a call from Duke. Chin's been arrested by Detective Coughlin," she said.

"What?" Steve asked, clearly already frustrated by this attack on his team.

"Who's Coughlin?" Joe asked. Kono broke eye contact with Steve, the first time she'd actually looked him in the eyes in several weeks actually.

"He runs Internal Affairs for HPD. And he's been after Chin's scalp for the better part of a year," she told Joe. She remembered too well the day Coughlin had interrogated them. She glanced back at Steve, who was already looking at her.

"First Danny, now Chin? That can't be a coincidence," Joe said.

"Wait a minute," Steve said. "Did Duke say that he thinks Coughlin has something, or is this just another one of his shakedowns?" Steve could only handle one crisis at a time. He needed to know what order to prioritize his teammates right now.

"He said Coughlin wouldn't have booked Chin unless he had something that was rock solid," she told him.

"Okay, we'll figure this out," Steve said. She wasn't sure if he was reassuring himself or her. "We need to know why Coughlin booked Chin and what he thinks he has." He and Joe split, leaving Kono alone with the growing pit of fear in her stomach.

* * *

After Grover told her that Coughlin had cut a deal with Gabriel, Kono spent her time trying to figure out where exactly Gabriel was stashed away. Steve called her in the midst of her research.

"Danny's handing himself over to the Colombians. I think he's doing it to protect me. It's a done deal, Kono," he said. She didn't speak for a minute, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with worry for both her cousin and Danny.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I don't know how we can get him out of this if he's cooperating," she finally said. She knew he was probably thinking it already, but Steve needed to hear that there might not be a way to save Danny this time.

"I know," he said quietly. "I'm on my way back. What's going on with Chin?" he asked.

"We're pretty sure Coughlin flipped Gabriel and is hiding him away in a safehouse. I'm looking for him now," she said.

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes," he assured her. She felt the lump in her throat rising up.

"Okay, see you then," she said, hanging up quickly. She took several deep breaths, willing the tears to stay firmly in her eyes. Chin and Danny needed her. Steve needed her. Now was not the time to fall apart. Steve walked into HQ two minutes later. She joined him in the hallway.

"Okay, so Duke's standing by. As soon as Coughlin surfaces, we're gonna put a tail on him and find out where he's holding Gabriel," she said.

"Duke's a good man," Steve said, glad someone was on their side. "How are you holding up?" he asked, catching her off guard. She ignored the tears pricking the back of her eyes.

"The truth?" she asked. He was looking at her with his concerned blue eyes, and she was afraid to look at him. "I, um, I can't shake this feeling in my gut that my cousin's going to go to prison this time," she said, finally stopping and turning to face him. He still had that concerned look in his eyes. "You know, after their last go-around, Coughlin's way too smart to go after Chin without knowing for sure that he has an airtight case. The Asset Forfeiture Team from the State Attorney General's Office already sealed up his house. His property's being seized... He's losing everything that he ever worked and fought for his entire life." She swallowed the lump that had come back to her throat.

"Chin knew the risks when he was asking for that money. He didn't care, 'cause Danny was in trouble and your cousin was there. Now we're gonna be there for him. And if Chin's gonna go down, he's not gonna go down without a fight," he said. She appreciated his words. She knew that he knew that she didn't need to hear that this would magically go away. She needed to hear that they were going to fight for him, since he had no one to do it before. They were his ohana.

"I like the sound of that," she said, this time the tears were much harder to fight.

"Good. Now come here," he said, pulling her into a hug. She felt safe in his arms, and she had to admit, she didn't particularly feel like facing the rest of the world while his protective arms encircled her body. "He'll be alright," he said, somehow sensing that a tear had slipped out.

"Thanks," she said. Reluctantly, they let go of each other and went into the office where Joe was waiting for them.

* * *

She had the location on Gabriel. As soon as she told the team, she saw the look on Steve's face. She knew the call he was going to make. And Grover was right, duking it out with IA was going to do nothing for Chin. Steve hated making the call, and she really understood it. But as much as she admired Steve, she resented him a little for doing it anyway.

"Alright. No one person is more important than the other, but Chin is here, and Danny's a cop in a South American prison. If we don't move fast, he's not going to last the week," he said.

Kono was giving him that look. He had betrayed her. He had chosen Danny, even though he had promised to fight for Chin. He hated that he'd had to make that call. But Chin would be alive, and Danny wouldn't if he hadn't made the call. Later, as he held Gracie and promised her to bring Danno back alive, he knew he'd made the right call, even if it meant Kono might never forgive him.

* * *

This was insane. Kono knew it. She also knew that they might just be crazy enough to pull it off. She sat next to Steve on the way to Colombia in the hold of the Navy plane that Steve and Joe had used up all kinds of favors to procure for them. Grover was asleep, and Joe was in the front with the pilot. She scooted closer to Steve, and slid her hand down until their fingers were intertwined. Neither of them looked at each other. But he squeezed tightly, and she rested her head on his shoulder. They silently drew strength from each other as they mentally prepared for what could await them in Colombia. Neither one of them saw Lou peek at them from under his eyelashes or saw the knowing grin that played around the edges of his lips.

In the end, they got Danny back. Chin was released after Gabriel murdered Coughlin. And Kono realized just how much she was in love with Steven J. McGarrett as she watched him fight for the people he cared about with everything that he had.


	8. 5x23

**5x23 Mo'o'olelo Pu**

Steve could see Kono as they approached. She was moving around her handcrafted boat with ease. She was checking provisions and talking to her cousin. Steve had considered offering to come with her, since he was the experienced sailor, but he could see from the glint of excitement in her eyes when they'd told them about this trip that this was something she needed to do alone.

"This is insane. She's been hanging out with you too much. Who willingly goes out to travel the islands in a hollowed-out log?" Danny asked. Steve shook his head. Danny still did not understand. He couldn't blame him, to be completely honest. This was pretty crazy, even by his standards. He approached the boat alone.

"Requesting permission to come aboard," he said, not able to resist the chance to tease her. She snapped to attention, ready to play along.

"Permission granted, Commander," she said, grinning. He smiled too.

"At ease," he told her. "Ship looks good. We miss you already, though," he said. By _we_ they both knew that he meant himself. He was worried about her, though he was doing a good job of disguising it. She was perfectly capable of handling herself, but the whole situation made him feel very helpless, knowing there was no way for him to back her up. He hugged her fiercely. Danny's voice came from the ground, interrupting their moment and demanding his own goodbye.

After Danny had threatened kidnapping, Kamekona had tried to send her with shrimp, and everyone had wished her well and said goodbye, including her parents, she was off.

* * *

Chin was worried about her, but Steve kept reassuring him that she was fine. She would've called if she ran into trouble. There was a nagging feeling in the back of Steve's mind, insisting that she was in danger, but he dismissed it. He was worried about her too. That was all. It was unfounded and unnecessary. And then it wasn't. Kono called. She needed help.

The Coast Guard was refusing to send air support. Steve understood. He really did. He would've made the same call, had he been in their position. But it was _Kono._ He spoke, surprised to find his own voice level and calm.

"Sir, if the safety of your men is your main concern, let me fly," he said. He saw Chin look at him in surprise. "I have experience piloting HH-65s in conditions worse than this many times over."

"I can't authorize that, and you know it," the man told him. He could see the apology in his eyes. That didn't stop Steve's frustration from growing even more. Kono was out there in a dangerous storm in a handmade boat. Chances are slim she'd survive without help soon.

Steve called the Navy as soon as he realized the Coast Guard wasn't going to be any help. He'd utilize the whole goddamn fleet if they'd let him.

"This is Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, requesting naval support." He didn't care who he'd owe favors to this time. He had to find her. "One of our own, Kono Kalakaua is lost at sea. Last radio contact was 14 hours ago." Just as he was getting a response, someone was letting him know that the helos could go up.

* * *

They found the wreckage of Kono's boat. Steve felt his heart being torn apart. There was a chance she was still alive, but the chances were growing slimmer every minute she was out here.

He was standing, pacing, arguing on the phone with someone in Naval Intelligence about repositioning satellites when Chin got the call. She had been found. She was dehydrated and severely sunburned, but she was alive. Steve let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding.

They rushed to the hospital, all of them. She was sleeping when they got there.

"We've sedated her to give her time to rehydrate and relax. You all can see her, but she won't be awake any time today," the doctor told them. They all did visit her. They needed to see her for themselves to reassure themselves that she was okay. Danny and Grover left not long afterwards. Chin looked over at Steve, who had barely budged from where he stood watching Kono intently.

"She shouldn't be alone when she wakes up," Chin said quietly. Steve seemed startled out of his reverie.

"Yeah, you're right. You should be here. I'll go home," he said. But it was clear from his tone that that's not at all what he wanted to do.

"Or you can stay. Just give me a call when she wakes up," Chin suggested. Steve looked at him, studying his face, trying to figure out why Chin had suggested it.

"Okay," he finally said.

"Hey, brah," Chin said, stepping closer. "I know how you feel about her. She feels the same way, but she doesn't know you love her. If you hurt her, I will use my shotgun on you and feed your body to the sharks," he said. Steve remained impassive.

"I would never hurt her," he assured Chin. The older man nodded and left without saying another word. Steve collapsed into the chair next to her bed. He picked up her hand, gently and stroked his finger over her knuckles until he fell asleep.

* * *

When he woke up, there was a nurse eyeing him curiously as she checked Kono's vitals. He realized why when he saw that he was still holding her hand. He quickly let go.

"Hi," he said. She nodded curtly.

"She's doing well. She should be awake in another hour or so," she told him. She took her leave. Steve sat, watching Kono sleep, replaying the horrible moment when he thought she was dead over and over again. He didn't want to lose her, couldn't lose her. He needed her. He saw her eyes twitch before she opened them.

Finally she did open her eyes, though she instantly regretted it with the light that made her want to go right back to sleep shining on her. She had assumed it was Chin sitting in the chair next to her bed. But when she turned her head slightly, she saw Steve sitting there, leaned over, clasped hands resting on her bed. He was watching her intently.

"Welcome back," he said. She squinted at him, trying to remember how she'd gotten here. As her skin started burning, she remembered. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to fight off the flashbacks of being stranded in the middle of the ocean, sure she was going to die out there. She opened her eyes, when she felt Steve's hand take hers. He spoke softly.

"Hey, it's okay. We got you. You're safe. We had the Coast Guard and the Navy out looking for you when we got the call that you had stumbled onto a highway and been brought here," he said.

"I-" she tried to speak, but her throat was so dry, she didn't think she could manage it. Steve realized the problem instantly and handed her the glass of water sitting on the table next to the bed. She tried to bring it to her mouth and cried out in pain instantly. Her arms were raw with the sunburn. Her skin felt stretched so tight she thought her bones would explode out of her skin. Steve grabbed the glass instantly. He placed a cool palm on her cheek, careful not to press too hard.

"Hey, it's okay," he reassured her. She felt tears springing to her eyes. She hated feeling helpless, and Steve was being so gentle and sweet. He brought the glass to her lips, helping her drink. When she had gotten half of it down, she finally felt confident in her voice.

"I was ready to die," she whispered. Steve's eyes flew to hers, concern evident. He pulled his chair as close as humanly possible. He made sure she was looking at him when he spoke.

"I wasn't. The Coast Guard was pretty convinced that you were gone. We saw the wreckage of your outrigger. I refused to believe it for longer than a second. You're a fighter, Kono. You beat all odds. You kick ass every single day, and you look hot as hell doing it. You're not allowed to give up again," he said. He meant for the last statement to come out like a command, but it came out more as a desperate plea. She looked like she was ready to cry again.

"Yes, sir," she said hoarsely.

"If anything happened to you, I don't think I would make it. I mean, not just because I care so much about you, but also because Danny would never stop trying to get me to open up about how upset I would be," he said, trying to avoid both the L word and and trying to get a smile out of her. It worked, as crooked and painful as it looked.

"Now, I'm gonna call Chin and let him know you're awake. And tomorrow, when the doctor gives the okay to take you home, Chin's going to take you to your house and keep an eye on you. And I'll be there tomorrow night to take my shift. So you just get some rest, okay?" he said. She nodded. "And you better not be back at work until your skin is a semi-normal color and you can move without wanting to scream," he ordered, this time, his voice doing what he wanted it to do and sounding like he was giving a command. She nodded again. He stood up and pulled out his cell phone going to the door, where he stood in the doorframe, keeping an eye on her.

Kono watched him. Every area of skin felt like it was on fire, but with the way he had been looking at her, she wasn't particularly sure that the way she felt was from the sunburn. She felt the longing rise up in her, urging her to tell him how she felt. She crushed it. He was her boss. She couldn't give in. She couldn't. But then she remembered how he'd said he'd be at her house tomorrow night for his shift to take care of her. She squeezed her eyes closed in frustration. It was going to be a long road to feeling better with those beautiful blue eyes looking at her all the time with the most tenderness and concern. She fell back asleep and dreamt, but this time, it wasn't of the ocean and being lost at sea. It was of being held gently by the man with the gentle tone and concerned eyes the color of the ocean. She dreamt only of him.


	9. 5x25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so I had to tweak a little bit because obviously Kono couldn't be going to her own wedding. So instead, it's Aunt Deb's wedding that they're trying to get to. Also, I have two aunts named Deb, so I just really love her. And Catherine still doesn't exist lol.
> 
> The end of this chapter has a little bit of hinted 18+ content, but nothing detailed.

**5x25 A Makekaua**

Deb stood in front of the hotel, tapping her foot impatiently waiting on her nephew and his friends. Max came over to her.

"I just got off the phone with Commander McGarrett. He said this is really important. He'll be here soon," he said. Deb looked at him, pointedly.

"I know. There's always a crisis. We'll wait," she said.

* * *

Across town, Steve was driving a trolley with a nuke in it, and Danny was nagging him. Kono and Chin were following them. Chin was hanging on for dear life as Kono kept up with Steve.

"You two are insane with your crazy driving," Chin muttered as they took a turn really fast.

"What was that, cuz?" she asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing, proceed," he said, relieved as they finally came into view of the helicopter.

Steve and Danny moved quickly, mostly ignoring Kamekona's worried ramblings. Right before they got into the helicopter, Kono ran up to them. She surprised everyone when she pressed a kiss to Steve's lips.

"Just in case," she said quietly. He looked shocked for a second before snapping back to reality. He nodded at her knowingly before jumping into the front of the helicopter. Kono moved back to stand by Chin as the helicopter took off.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Chin asked her. She shook her head, eyes glued to the chopper that was growing smaller and smaller.

"Just tell me he's coming back," she said, feeling breathless with worry.

"He'll be okay. He always is," Chin reassured her. He put his arm around her, and she leaned into him, hoping he was right.

They watched the glorious explosion from the beach. Kono felt her heart thumping harder and faster than she thought possible. She could only pray that they'd made it out. It was only when the helicopter appeared on the horizon that she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Steve and Danny got out of the helicopter minutes later. Kono was relieved, but she definitely stopped to appreciate how damn good he looked in that tux. She hugged Danny first while Chin hugged Steve. Then they switched. Steve held her. He didn't want to let go.

"We should talk," he whispered over her shoulder.

"Yeah," she agreed. He reluctantly let her go.

"James Bond, my ass," Kamekona said, making them all laugh.

"Uh, Steve. Don't you have a bride to walk down an aisle?" Chin asked. Steve nodded vigorously.

"Aunt Deb's going to kill me," he said. They all piled into Kono's car, since Steve had to drive the trolley over.

"Don't worry, I'll get us there fast," she said, grinning mischievously. Danny and Chin groaned from the backseat. Steve grinned back at her.

"Lights and sirens?" he asked.

"Is there any other way?" she asked. She had them there in minutes. Danny would claim later than he was pretty sure Steve couldn't have even gotten them there that quickly, which Steve claimed was ridiculous, of course.

* * *

As Deb and Leonard got married, as Deb sang to the man she loved, Kono's eyes kept being drawn to the back of Steve's head. She was suddenly nervous, wondering what was going to happen when they talked.

After the small ceremony, the party moved to the McGarrett house where there was cake and alcohol. The happy couple retired pretty quickly, wanting to get a head start on their honeymoon. Danny also left, saying he needed to get Gracie home. Grover claimed he was exhausted too. That left Chin, Kono, Steve, and Max enjoying beers on the beach in the backyard. Chin looked at his cousin and then at his boss. He gave Steve a pointed look, and Steve nodded subtly.

"Well, I'm going to head home too. Max, can I give you a ride? You've had a little too much to drink," Chin said, grinning. The kind-hearted ME was a little out of it.

"Yes, Lieuten-ant," he said, his voice a bit slurred.

"I'll see you guys soon," Chin said, guiding Max away.

Kono and Steve sat in comfortable silence next to each other for a while.

"We can't do this. As much as I want to, I'm your superior officer," Steve said. He wasn't looking at her.

"I know. That's why I've tried pushing down the way I feel. I didn't want to put you in a position where you had to make that call. Today…I wasn't sure if you were going to come back or not," she said. She looked over at him. He took another long swig of his beer.

"I know the feeling," he said. He looked over at her finally, meeting her eyes. She felt her heart start racing again. His eyes could do insane things to her heart.

"I know I shouldn't, but I can't stop thinking about you. Every time we're apart, I wish we were together. When we're in the field, I wonder if you're okay. When you got captured by Wo Fat, I was ready to burn down the entire damn island just to find you," she confessed, her voice growing stronger and fiercer the more she talked.

"When you told me that Adam had duct taped you to a chair, I wanted to drive straight over there and make him suffer before I killed him. Every time I've made a call that put your life in danger, I want to shoot someone or something. When you got lost in the ocean and the Coast Guard wouldn't send out helos, I offered to fly one myself. I had to find you, I didn't care who I had to torture or threaten or manipulate into giving me resources," he admitted.

"We can't keep going like this," Kono said. He nodded, looking away. He bit his lip in thought, and Kono found herself wanting to bite his lip for him. She tried to mentally shake her head free of that thought.

"So what do we do?" he asked. When he looked at her again, she lost all self-control. Neither one of them could say whether it was the built-up tension, or the alcohol that had lowered their ability to make good decisions. When Kono stood up and moved to kiss him, Steve met her halfway. They stood there on the beach, trying to memorize the way the other person felt as they kissed. As the kisses became more and more heated, they forgot all about what they should or shouldn't do. They somehow stumbled back inside. They didn't make it upstairs the first time, ending up on the couch in the living room still half-clothed. But after that bout was over, Steve carried her upstairs. They made quick work of their clothes. They spent the rest of the night, doing things they definitely shouldn't do. Kono had to admit it to herself, this was everything she could have dreamed of. When she woke up in the morning, naked in Steve's arms, she knew she should be worried, knew she should be sneaking out. As if sensing her thoughts, Steve's arms tightened around her, pulling her closer to him. She drifted back to sleep, all thoughts of fleeing gone. They shouldn't have done this, sure, but she couldn't find it in herself to regret it one bit. Steve McGarrett was the man she loved, damn it, and she deserved to be happy, even if it was just for one glorious night.


	10. 6x01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So obviously I've taken some liberties with plotline. After writing this chapter, I'm crying, and I know what happens. Please forgive me.

**6x01 Mai ho`oni i ka wai lana mâlie**

When Kono woke up in the warm sunlight, the bed was empty. She stretched out, thinking about how much she loved this bed and this house. She glanced over at the alarm clock, noting that it was only 8AM. Steve couldn't have gone too far. She found a t-shirt of his from a drawer and threw it on before venturing downstairs. There was a note on the fridge.

"Gone for a run and swim. Help yourself to whatever. -S"

She hummed to herself as she made coffee. Just as the coffee maker started to make a noise and spit out coffee, Kono heard her phone ring in the other room. She found the device in her pants pocket; her pants being where she'd left them in the living room last night. Adam's name was blinking on the screen when she picked the phone up. She hesitated before answering.

"Adam-" she started but was cut off.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid Adam isn't available right now," the voice on the other end said, laughing. Kono felt a chill go up her spine. She recognized the voice instantly. They had come a long way since being surfing buddies when she was a teenager.

"Gabriel," she said.

"Kono, so lovely to speak to you again. If you don't want Adam to die, you'll come to his house right now," he said.

"Adam and I broke up. What do I care what you do to him?" she said, trying to call his bluff, see how this would play out.

"Because you're a good person, Kono. It's your downfall. And because I have eyes and ears everywhere. How do you think I know that you're in Commander McGarrett's house right now? And he's gone on a jog. I wonder how that's going?" Kono felt anger rise up at the threat.

"Alright fine. I'll be right over," she agreed.

"And Kono? You even think of calling any of your Five-0 buddies or tipping off the HPD, and I'll make sure to start with killing Adam. Then your mother and father are second on my list. After that? I'm not sure. Maybe Danny Williams' little girl. And I heard he has a son too," Gabriel said. Kono saw red. She wanted to strangle Gabriel with her bare hands. The man could threaten her. He could threaten Steve. He could even threaten Adam. But threatening her disabled mother and Danny's kids? That was too far.

"I'm coming," she said again, this time through gritted teeth. She hung up and collected her clothes quickly. Once she was dressed she wrote a note under Steve's on the refrigerator.

"Need a personal day to help out a friend. Talk later, promise. -K"

She drove as fast as she could to Adam's house. She pulled her gun out as she came up to the front door, knowing it would probably be taken from her anyway. She still hoped she could get a shot at Gabriel though. She was wrong. Her gun wasn't just taken from her. She pushed the cracked door open with her gun, easing in to the house slowly. As soon as she was fully inside, someone came from outside the house and slammed her head hard. Everything went black.

* * *

"Let me get this straight, you told Kono you guys couldn't have a relationship," Danny said. Steve nodded. "Then, she agreed with you. After that, you told each other how much you loved each other and then slept together anyway," Danny said.

"Well, we didn't use the word love. I just told her that I couldn't stop thinking about her and how much I needed to protect her and how important she is to me," Steve corrected. Danny rolled his eyes, throwing himself dramatically on to the couch in Steve's office. Steve swiveled in his chair from behind the desk to look at him.

"So you basically told each other how much you loved one another, slept together, and then this morning, you get up and go for a run because you're an insane person," Danny started again.

"I always go for a run in the morning," Steve interrupted again.

"Not relevant. As I was saying, there's a beautiful woman who you love in your bed in your arms. And you leave that bed to go for a run. And when you come back, she left a note on your fridge saying she needed a personal day," Danny finished summarizing. He squinted at Steve. He knew his partner was dense, but this was actually ridiculous.

"I should've stayed in bed," Steve finally realized.

"Damn right you should've stayed in bed! You probably scared her away forever!" Danny said, "She's probably out job hunting as we speak!"

Chin knocked on the door and leaned into the office. He was clearly curious but polite enough not to ask about what was going on.

"Hey, Steve, can I ask you something privately?" Chin asked. Danny got up, still shaking his head.

"He's all yours, Chin," he said, heading toward his own office.

"What's up, man?" Steve asked.

"After I dropped Max off, Gabriel was waiting for me by my car last night," Chin said.

"Wait, what?" Steve asked.

"I came out to my car and Gabriel pulled a gun on me," Chin explained how Gabriel had offered him a part of his business last night.

"50% of his growing drug empire seems like a pretty generous offer. So what'd you say?" Steve asked.

"I told him he'd better pull the trigger, because if he didn't, I would find him and put him down," Chin said honestly.

Steve's phone started ringing. He held up a finger to Chin and answered it.

"McGarrett," he said, "Okay, we'll be right there." He hung up and looked at Chin. "We got a case. But we'll figure this out. I'm glad you told me," he told him. Chin nodded.

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head as he followed Steve out of his office. He could only hope they would figure this out.

* * *

Kono came to with a splitting headache where she'd been hit over the head. She was tied to a chair. When she finally convinced her eyelids to open, she saw Adam sitting tied to the chair across from her. Gabriel was standing there grinning. It was clear they'd been torturing Adam.

"Hey, what do you want from us?" she demanded angrily.

"She's a little late to the party. Why don't you catch her up?" Gabriel said, grinning wickedly at her.

"Gabriel wants me to transfer all my assets to a holding company he controls," Adam said, sounding out of breath. Kono was trying to figure out why Gabriel wanted that money and why Adam didn't want to give it to him so badly.

"Shouldn't be difficult, right? He was scheduled to transfer all that cash to his father's ex-partner in three days. I'm just asking him to move that money now," Gabriel said. Kono looked at Adam, making eye contact with him. What was going on? Why would he be doing that?

"If I do that, the Yakuza will kill me. It's my way out," Adam said, gritting his teeth.

"If you don't, what do you think I'll do?" Gabriel said. He nodded at the man behind Kono who held up a scalpel. He leaned close to her. She spit in his eyes in response. Gabriel just laughed. "Feisty, as usual. Start with the teeth," he said, pure hatred in his eyes as several men grabbed her face and Adam began yelling.

* * *

Across town, Steve and Danny were in the car together.

"So, do you know what you're going to say later? Or are you just gonna be like animals and tear each other's clothes off again?" Danny asked. Steve looked at his partner in amusement.

"Why are you like this? Do you think that's what happened?" Steve asked.

"Hey, I know what you're doing. You're avoiding the question. Don't think I didn't notice that. So I guess that means you don't know what you're going to say," Danny said, half-smiling in satisfaction as he looked out the windshield.

"I am not avoiding the question! I'm asking a serious question in response. Because that is essentially what happened, in case you were curious," Steve said, smirking.

"Whoa! Hey! No, I was not curious! I don't wanna know!" Danny proclaimed loudly. "I was just trying to help you. You want to be alone, you want to be miserable for the rest of your life, don't listen to me."

"You are alone and you are always miserable, and that is exactly why I'm not listening to you, okay? And that's why I'm going to ask Kono to go out with me," Steve said.

"Say that again," Danny said, starting to grin. Steve was biting back a grin too.

"I said you're always miserable," he said, just to tease his partner. It was too easy.

"No, the other part," Danny requested, fully grinning now.

"I'm going to ask Kono to go out with me. It's too soon to tell her I love her. I'm not going to scare the poor woman away. But I do want to take her out on a real date," Steve said.

"A real date. Wow," Danny said, shaking his head and smiling. "Wait, that means like dinner, right? You don't mean like a real date where you go and shoot stuff together or something," Danny asked, giving Steve a warning look. Steve shook his head sheepishly.

"I thought I might cook her a nice dinner at home. You know, less curious eyes that might recognize us, just a chance for her and I to spend time together not at work. Not that I think she would mind if I took her shooting," Steve clarified.

"Steve, I think if you took the woman shooting on your first date, she'd probably marry you right then and there," Danny declared. Steve looked at him sharply.

"Really?" he asked, perhaps a little too much hopefulness in his voice.

"No, not really, you idiot! What are you, insane?" Danny asked. He saw the look on Steve's face though, when he tried to hide it.

"Oh my god, this is serious. Not only are you in love with her, you want to marry her," Danny said, shock creeping into his voice.

"I mean one day, you know…" Steve trailed off.

"You already have baby names picked out, don't you?" Danny asked accusingly. Steve's silence was all the answer he needed. He started out on another rant. Steve ignored him, choosing instead to think about what he was going to make for dinner for Kono when she agreed to the date.

* * *

"Wow, getting answers out of you two is like pulling teeth," Gabriel said, then laughed at his own joke. "I'm sorry that was in poor taste. This can end. All you have to do is give me the passcodes to the accounts," he offered. Adam shook his head.

"No," he said again. The men reached into Kono's mouth and began to pull at a tooth. She struggled, but she didn't stand a chance tied to the chair.

"Okay!" Adam finally yelled. "I'll do it, but you don't lay another hand on her," he said. Gabriel nodded at his men, who backed off of Kono.

"Adam, no," she said.

"Give Damon the codes," Gabriel said, ignoring her.

"The codes are useless. I made specific instructions with my bank. The transfer can only be initiated in person," Adam said.

"Adam, if you're lying to me, she's going to die...very slowly. And I'm going to make you watch. Understand?" Gabriel said, his voice low and dangerous.

"Yeah, I understand," Adam said.

As soon as they were gone, Kono reached for the scalpel they had left within her reach. She made a noise when she went for it. The guards came back to investigate. She had them both out before they even knew what was happening. Kono quickly found her gun and badge. Her cell phone wasn't anywhere to be seen, and she assumed it had been destroyed. She jumped into her car and flipped the lights and sirens on as she drove to the bank. As she neared the building, she turned them back off, trying not to alert Gabriel to her presence.

There was a shootout. Adam was hit. Gabriel got away. Kono sat there, exhausted, waiting for the ambulance to come.

When she finally got ahold of Chin, she was sitting in the waiting room outside of the OR at King's. He assured her they'd be right there.

Steve was the first person through the door. He hugged her, and she sagged against him, grateful for his strength.

"What happened? How is he?" Steve asked.

"He's still in surgery, but I think he'll be okay. But even if he is, Gabriel got away with the money meant to pay off the Yakuza. Adam's dead without it," she said. She felt distant and hollow. She collapsed into the chair, not sure if she could continue standing. Chin sat next to her.

"Hey, did you get checked out?" he asked, gently. She shook her head, suddenly feeling woozy. Steve held up the hand that had been wrapped around the back of her head. It was covered in blood.

"Uh, can we get some help over here? She needs to be checked out right now," he called. A nurse came over. Kono wished she could focus on the woman's face, but she really couldn't. In fact, consciousness was slipping away from her slowly.

* * *

When she woke up, she was laying in a hospital bed. Steve and Chin were sitting in chairs on either side of her. Danny walked in, carrying several coffee cups, just as she cracked her eyes open.

"Welcome back!" Danny congratulated her.

"Adam's okay. The doctor said he's going to have a long road to recovery ahead of him," Chin assured her.

"Hey, how do you feel? The doctor said it looked like someone cracked you over the head with the butt of a gun," Steve said, concerned. She nodded. She vaguely remembered that happening. The whole day was kind of a blur now. She closed her eyes trying to focus on everything that happened. Then the memories from the night before came back instead. She remembered the way his tongue felt on her skin and the way their sweaty bodies moved together. Her eyes flew open. Steve's concerned blue eyes were the first thing she saw.

"We need to talk," she told him, seriously. His face relaxed, sure that she was okay if she could remember that much.

"About what?" Chin asked. Damn, she'd forgotten he was here.

"Uh, better let them figure this out. Come on, man, I'm sure Steve will explain later," Danny said, looking very uncomfortable suddenly. He almost dragged Chin out of the hospital room and shut the door behind him.

"We can't date," she proclaimed. Steve was caught off guard.

"What?" he asked.

"After today, I'm not sure what I want. You're my boss, which creates complications. I thought Adam was still in bed with the Yakuza. I thought I couldn't trust him. But after today, it seems clear that I was wrong. He's going straight, and he loves me. I can't walk away from him. Not yet," she explained. Steve watched her speak, his face not giving away anything he was thinking.

"Well, if that's what you want. I'm okay with that. From now on, you and I are strictly friends and coworkers," he said. She nodded and felt her heart turning in her chest, suddenly unsure of her choice. Steve got up slowly and walked to the door. She watched him leaving, and she wondered if she was making the right decision after all. But then, he was gone, and it was too late to stop him from walking away.

* * *

She had pushed him away. Steve walked past Danny and Chin. He ignored his partner who was calling his name, clearly concerned. He strode past all of the nurses and doctors, he went outside and got into the Camaro. He let go. The tears came out faster than he thought was possible. He loved Kono, and he had finally gotten up the nerve to do something about it. And she had pushed him away. He sat there and cried, even after Danny got in the car next to him and sat silently. He cried for the woman he loved and couldn't have. He cried for what could have been.


	11. 6x02 and 6x03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I combined two episodes here. Just needed y'all to see that I am just as broken up about this as Kono is, okay? You'll see.

**6x02 Lehu a Lehu**

Kono wasn't sure what she was doing. She had broken up with Adam, and her feelings for Steve had been a big part of that. But then, being held hostage with Adam and seeing how much he loved her had opened her eyes. She had seen clearly that Adam was the less complicated choice, despite the debt he owed the Yakuza. She had pushed Steve away. As she helped Adam out of Jerry's car, she wondered for the thousandth time since that day if she'd made the right decision.

"Thanks for the lift, Jer," she said cheerfully to her friend.

"No worries. Oh, and I want you to know there are no strings attached here. This is just a personal favor that is in no way meant to influence any pending decision about possible employment opportunities with Five-O," Jerry told her. She grinned.

"It never crossed my mind," she assured him.

"Well, maybe I'm being a little paranoid here, but... these are delicate times. Decisions are being made, and I really want to get out of the shrimp business. Tell you the truth, I don't even like shrimp. They're the ocean's vacuum cleaner. And, unless they're butterflied correctly, you're eating their poop chute," Jerry said. It was clear what he wanted, and she wished she could give him the badge herself.

"Jerry, you know what?" she said, "You've been a big help to Five-0. I'm sure McGarrett will do right by you." She felt her voice stick in her throat as she said his name. She pretended like nothing had happened, but she saw Jerry's look. He had noticed. Fortunately, he chose not to say anything.

As Kono helped Adam get settled in his house, she fell into a comfortable rhythm. She was comfortable here, needed, wanted. Adam was glad she was here, and he loved her. She needed stability. She needed Adam. She kept telling herself these things, wondering how long it would take to convince herself.

* * *

**6x03 Ua'o'oloku ke anu i na mauna**

Danny invited her to go the crime lab with him. He had said it was because it was Eric's first day, and he needed her to prevent him from punching the kid in the mouth. But really, she suspected, it was so that he could talk to her in the car on the way over.

"How's Adam?" he asked. It was a simple enough question. She glanced over at Danny, suspecting that this was a clever interrogation ploy, but she decided to play along.

"He's doing well. The doctor's are impressed with his recovery. The dead guys outside the house set him on edge though. He's not sleeping very well," she said.

"I'm glad he's doing better," he said. Kono glanced at him again. There was more coming; she could sense it. "You really hurt him," he said. She was right. There _was_ more.

"Who?" she asked, deciding to play dumb before she incriminated herself.

"Steve," he said plainly. So she was right. This was where this was going. She prepared herself for a lecture. "Steve thinks the world of you Kono. He cares about you a lot more than he should, and he knows that. He finally had happiness in his reach, and you pushed him away," Danny said carefully. She felt horrible. She knew all of this, hadn't stopped thinking about it actually. That didn't make it easier to hear.

"I know. I feel bad, but-" she started, but Danny cut her off. He held a hand up and looked over at her for a second before returning his eyes to the road in front of him.

"No, Kono. I don't think you know. But I think you need to know. I didn't even know the man was capable of producing tears, but I'm pretty sure I cried less when Rachel told me she wanted a divorce. He sobbed, Kono. You didn't just hurt him, you ripped his heart out and stomped on it. He's a mess," Danny told her. Kono felt like her heart had been ripped out.

"Adam needs me. He's the safe choice," she said, her voice weak. She didn't even sound like she believed that to her own ears.

"I'm just telling you, babe, because I care about both of you, and I need you two to be okay," Danny said. She didn't respond, and for once, she was grateful for the distraction of the crime lab.

* * *

Steve and Kono had done a really admirable job of avoiding each other since the conversation in the hospital. But when she got the lead on the boat key, everyone was busy...except Steve. She called him and told him she had a lead and asked him to meet her. They didn't say anything else. As soon as he got to the dock, she started talking and walking, trying not to look at him.

"Hey, so the boat key that you found in Lahinea's bag traced back to a 2002 Strike 35 fishing boat. Seven are registered on Oahu, I cleared six of the owners," she said.

"What about the seventh?" Steve asked.

"It's registered to a questionable shell corporation. The owner is Aaron James. He was arrested for drug trafficking, but the charges were dropped last year," she explained as they walked. She tried really hard not to think about how good he looked in blue. She focused on the case. "All right, so this is the one," she said, coming up to the boat.

"Okay," he said. She deftly jumped into the boat first. He followed close behind. Almost too close. She became suddenly aware of how damn small this boat was. She tried the key in the ignition, but it didn't fit.

"It doesn't fit. Sorry, Steve, must not be the right one," she said. She leaned back, frustrated for more than one reason now.

"I don't know about that," Steve said. "You said this boat's 13 years old?" he asked, looking at her. She looked at him, making eye contact for the first time.

"Yeah," she confirmed. Steve looked around.

"That's a brand new ignition," he observed. They switched as he unscrewed the cover, revealing what they were looking for.

"I got blood," he said.

"Okay. So sometime during the body dump, our killer loses his keys, and he has to improvise to get back to shore," she surmised. Steve nodded.

"Right, he doesn't realize it, but he has the vic's blood on him when he goes to hotwire the engine," he agreed. She started to lean over to set the screws down when she saw something out of the corner of her eye.

"Boss," she said, getting Steve's attention, as she realized who she was seeing. "Aaron James," she said loudly. Steve turned to see the man too.

"Excuse me, sir? Mind if we have a word with you?" Steve asked politely. James took off anyway. Steve hopped out of the boat, running quickly after the man. Kono followed, resolving herself to not take her eyes off the suspect. If she looked away, she might notice how good Steve looked when he ran or how tight his pants were or you know, something like that. James jumped into another boat and took off.

"Kono!" Steve yelled, and that is the instant she knew something stupid was about to happen. She was right, of course. She wished she wasn't so right about everything today. Steve ran down the dock and jumped into another boat before jumping to the boat Aaron James was on. Kono stood back on the dock, watching uselessly as Steve fought James and then made a very fast turn to avoid killing anyone on the dock. She rolled her eyes. It was so dramatic and yet so very Steve of him. She walked leisurely to where Steve was guiding the boat back to the dock, wondering if she should tell Danny about this one or not.

* * *

They interrogated James together, which didn't help Kono with her situation of focusing on how much she loved Adam and needed Adam because he was the safe choice and the right choice. She couldn't stop thinking about Steve freaking McGarrett and how good he looked in that stupid blue button-up and how hot angry and controlling Steve was. She knew from experience on that one. James didn't talk, and Steve told her to get him to HPD lockup, finally giving her a chance to breathe when he left with Jerry.

She stared down Aaron James, feeling in control for the first time since she'd met Steve on that dock earlier. She hated how crazy he was. She hated how unstable a relationship with him could be. She hated not feeling in control when she was with him. But most of all, she hated him because she actually loved him, and she didn't know what to do about it. As she sat in her car later, she decided it was her turn to cry more than Danny had when Rachel had asked him for a divorce. Because she was really failing at convincing herself that Adam was the right choice. Because she was pretty sure he wasn't the right choice at all, not by a long shot.


	12. 6x04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like the worst writing I've ever done, but i'm getting bored with the filler chapters. I have too many ideas for the future episodes. Might be some big time jumps in the future. Also, fun story, Chin Ho Kelly's red Mustang has been my dream car since I was like 10 years old, so I really love that I got to mention her in this chapter.

**6x04 Ka Papahana Holo Pono**

Steve and Kono were on their way to pick Gerard Hirsch up at the Sheraton. Kono sat in the passenger seat on the Silverado, trying really hard not to think about how that light blue shirt brought out Steve's eyes.

Steve, meanwhile, was sitting in the driver's seat, wondering if he should let the awkward silence remain, or if he should say something.

"This is ridiculous," he finally opted to say. Kono looked at him in surprise. He glanced over at her. "Listen, we've been friends for 6 years. We sleep together once, and now we're gonna get all weird? We're adults. We work closely together. We can't keep doing this. This awkward thing ends now," he said. She decided to go with that, because they both knew they hadn't just slept together. They had professed feelings for each other.

"Okay, yeah, you're right. We've been friends for a long time. We have to get over this. So, how's Danny?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"Danny's good. He's complaining as usual, but he's still doing well," Steve said. Then he took a moment to consider what the implications of his next question might be. "How's Adam?" he asked finally.

"He's doing well. Doctors were very impressed with his recovery. He's just kind of lost right now with no real purpose," she said.

"Yeah, I mean that makes sense. He spent all those years as the son of the head of the Yakuza. Now he has to remake his identity, find what he's good at, find a career," Steve said.

"Yeah, and of course there's the whole part about him owing Goro Shioma money that Gabriel stole," Kono said.

"If there's anything I can do to help with that, you let me know," Steve told her.

"Thanks, boss," Kono said quietly. They reached the Sheraton before the conversation died down. They found Hirsch drawing caricatures. Steve sent the kid Hirsch was definitely scamming away.

"Officer Kalakaua, I see you're displaying your badge today," Hirsch said in a light tone.

They quickly discovered Hirsch was scamming people out of $30 for these horrible looking pictures. They got answers out of him in the parking lot by Steve's truck. Kono lost track of how many times Hirsch hit on her. She wasn't sure who wanted to punch Hirsch more, her or Steve.

* * *

They worked the case together. Kono wasn't sure why he had paired them up, what secret intentions Steve may have, but she enjoyed this renewed friendship. It made it a lot easier to think about going home to Adam at the end of the day. It was a lot easier to tell herself that she had been overthinking all of this. She and Steve had only slept together. They weren't love-struck teenagers. They weren't desperate for each other. They were friends, coworkers, and perfectly capable of continuing that working relationship as friends without any complicated feelings.

* * *

Kono stared in disbelief as the car they were pursuing was getting away from them.

"Is your foot even on the gas?" she asked incredulously. Steve looked as frustrated as she felt.

"There's a reason we always take Danny's car, okay?" he said defensively. They should've taken her car. She would've even let Steve drive. Anything would've been better than this.

"I see why," she told him as Chin and Grover went flying by in Chin's Mustang. Kono couldn't believe her eyes as she saw something go flying out of the window of the car they were pursuing.

"Uh, they wouldn't just toss a 3 million dollar painting, would they?" she asked. Nothing about this car chase was right, and Kono was getting increasingly confused about what the hell was going on. Steve couldn't drive fast, and their criminals had just tossed a very expensive painting into the middle of traffic.

"Hold on," Steve said. She didn't have much of a choice, and she grimaced as he whipped the truck around to a stop. They got out quickly, running to the edge of the street where the painting was rolling around. She watched in terror as Steve ran out into traffic to grab the painting. She felt her heart stop for a second as he dove and rolled out of the way, bringing the painting with him. She couldn't help but grin as he held it up. He may be completely insane, but at least he had got the painting.

Kono wore her very short shorts. Of course she did. She was blending. But Steve couldn't lie, he was a little distracted as they watched her watching Hirsch. She was usually wearing very practical work outfits, so this was a pleasant change. She looked good, and he wouldn't deny that at least. Despite the fact that the little voice in his head was saying, _Danger, don't go down that road. Friends. You're friends._

* * *

They made it through the day. They closed the case. They had survived. Everyone gathered at the Sheraton for drinks. Hirsch invited himself, and they were all enjoying their caricatures when Steve finally joined them. They all showed him their pictures, and Steve had to admit, they were pretty funny. Kono's had her surfing and holding a gun, naturally. Steve wondered briefly if he could get his hands on a copy of that. Then Hirsch handed him his. Steve knew it was a joke at his expense; he really did. But it was pretty funny, he'd admit it. He showed the group, and they all laughed, clearly getting a kick out of this portrayal of him as Rambo.

"Detail's amazing," Kono said, grinning. "You might have gone a little overboard on the abs," she teased. Steve looked at it again, playing along.

"What do you mean?" he asked, as Hirsch informed her that he'd used his imagination. Steve didn't even wanna know what that meant.

Steve ordered his beer and had just given them the update on Charlie and Danny when Lou nudged him.

"Hey hey hey, 12:00, brunette, she's checking you out," he said. Kono felt her stomach turn, not sure she could watch Steve put the moves on a girl right here in front of her. It was too much. She'd hurt someone. Hirsch made a comment about having his eye on her, and Steve was about to send a quip back when Jerry intervened.

"No, offense to Steve, but I don't think he's the one she's interested in," he said. Steve turned around, trying to scope out his competition, not that he was actually interested in the woman. That's when the group realized what Jerry was talking about.

"Oh my god, that's Jerry Rice," Kono said. Sometimes, Steve forgot she was just as big of a football fan as he was. They were all staring at Hirsch with disbelief over his comments about Dancing With the Stars and baseball when Steve stopped Jerry Rice. Kono watched in amusement as Steve got his autograph for Danny. She could not believe this was happening to them.

"Jerry, we're so super stoked that the Pro Bowl's coming back to Oahu this year," Chin said.

"Hey, me, too, brother. Came here 13 times as a player. Got to captain the winning team in 2014. And, you know, paradise never gets old," Rice said.

"Well, we'll be rooting for your squad this year," Kono said, still recovering from the fact that this was happening.

They got a picture of them together with Jerry Rice. Steve pulled his phone out later, looking at the picture. Kono was smiling, clearly thrilled. Steve wished he could see that smile on her face every single day. He wanted to put that smile on her face every single day. He knew he shouldn't keep doing this to himself, but he loved her so damn much. She went home to Adam. He came home alone. He couldn't help but wonder if he had spoken up earlier, if things would be different. Would she be here with him instead of there with Adam? He would never know.

* * *

Kono came home to find Adam on the back porch. He was tense and clearly upset about something, but she didn't want to push him, so she just stood there with him, with her arms wrapped around him. This was safe. Adam was the right choice because he was here with her, and he cared about her. Steve was a friend. A friend she wasn't going to think about any more because she was here with Adam, her boyfriend, the man she loved. But was Adam the man she was in love with?


	13. 6x07 and 6x08

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, but I'm trying to get past stuff here. To be fair, I actually didn't mind Lynn, but I kind of feel like she and Steve didn't make a very good match. It was pretty forced to me. Their relationship wasn't natural, which tends to happen when a friend sets you up, I guess. I think part of it was that Alex and Sarah didn't have any chemistry.

**6x07 No Kama Hele**

Kono had no right to be upset or jealous. She kept telling herself that as Grover and Chin talked about how hot this woman was that Steve was out diving and exploring uninhabited islands with today. Steve was out on a date that she personally would love to go on, and she was going to enjoy a perfectly fun day of football..as soon as they stopped talking about how hot this Lynn woman was.

"Was she thumb worthy?" Chin asked. Grover looked at him in confusion.

"Was she what?" he asked. Kono was going to kill one of them.

"Oh come on man, don't tell me you never heard that expression before," Chin said.

"Uh, no," Grover said, waiting for him to explain.

"Would you cut off your thumb to spend the weekend with her?" Chin asked. Both of them. Kono was going to kill both of them.

"What?" Grover said laughing.

"Guys, I'm right here," she reminded them again.

"So it's like a scale from one to five. You got your pinky, which is the least useful. Going all the way down to your thumb, which is very important," Chin explained.

"Okay, let's just get something straight right now. First of all, I'm not cutting off none of my digits for some weekend booty. But if I would, yeah, that girl is definitely thumb worthy," Grover said.

"So she was hot," Chin said, pleased.

"You guys are idiots, you know that right?" Kono asked them. She took it back. She wasn't just going to kill these two. She was also going to kill Steve and this Lynn girl who was apparently "thumb worthy."

"Oh, sorry, Kono. I didn't mean to be insensitive. Unless the reason you're upset is because you're jealous?" Grover asked. Kono kept her eyes glued to the football game. _Yes,_ her brain said, _I'm extremely jealous because I want to "explore an uninhabited island" with Steve, or whatever the hell that's code for._

"Why would I be jealous? I am in a committed relationship," she reminded Grover.

"Why indeed?" Chin asked, knowing his cousin well enough to know she was absolutely upset by the fact that Steve was on a date with another girl.

She had told him to move on, and she had no right to be jealous. But she couldn't stop imagining Steve with some nameless hot blond chick. She was grateful for the distraction when they realized what was going on with Kukui High's young quarterback.

* * *

**6x08 Piko Pau 'lole**

Kono knew she needed to break up with Adam. She was leading him on. She wasn't over Steve, and with him dating this Lynn girl, it was obvious Kono needed to move on. Maybe she could rekindle her romance with Adam in the future, but it needed to end for now. He had called her asking to meet her outside of the HPD.

"Adam, before you say anything, I think I need to tell you something first," she said when they met. She saw the pang of hurt in his eyes. He knew what was about to happen.

"Kono, promise me that no matter what you tell me, you'll still go into this station with me. I need you here," he requested. She nodded. It was the least she could do.

"Yeah, I can do that," she agreed. After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath and started talking. "We need to break up. I'm not over Steve, and I want to be over him and give you everything you deserve in a relationship. I need some time alone before I can figure out what I need. I do love you, Adam, which is why I know we need to break up, at least for a while," she explained. He nodded, unshed tears in his eyes.

"I can't say I'm not surprised," he said. "But I think what's about to happen will help this situation make more sense," he told her. He went inside, and she followed him in, confused at what he meant. He turned himself in for two murders. She was shocked. He explained that he was going to cooperate and take whatever minimum sentencing deal they could get him. While that was happening, he wanted her to live her life, free and happy. When he was out, they could reevaluate their relationship. Kono agreed, but she did cry. She had wanted to break up with him, not watch him go to jail. Adam assured her everything was going to be okay, but she wasn't sure that was true, not at all. She was alone in the world. She had made a hard choice between two men, and she had chosen wrong. Now it was too late. Now Steve was seeing someone, and the man she didn't love who did love her unconditionally was going to jail. She was numb as she drove herself home and opened up a beer. She sat on her couch, staring at the black screen of the TV. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard a knock on her door. Chin Ho was there. He came in and didn't say anything, just held her as she cried all of the tears she didn't know she'd been holding in. He didn't need to say anything. He knew what was wrong, and she was grateful for her cousin. Love was complicated, but _ohana_ was constant.


	14. Flashback to 1x12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just needed some classic McKono stuff you know? A little break from the Adam storyline.

**1x12 Hana 'a'a Makehewa**

"Don't touch him, Kono!" Steve said, as she ran toward them, toward her cousin. She heeded his warning and lowered herself down next to Chin

"Oh my god, are you okay?" she asked. Then she turned on Steve and Danny. "What are we doing to get this off of him?" she demanded.

"Hesse is demanding 10 million dollars, and the governor's refusing to play ball," Danny told her.

"So we need 10 million dollars?" Kono asked, looking at Steve. He felt his heart break as she looked at him like that, dark eyes full of fear. She was looking at him because he was supposed to have the answer, and he didn't.

"Yes," he told her. She looked back at Chin. After a moment of exchanged looks, Steve spoke up. "I'm sorry what's the look here? You know where to get $10 million?" he asked.

"No, but Chin Ho does," Kono told him, not taking her eyes off of her cousin.

"Kono, don't," Chin said warningly.

"If it's the only way to save your life," she told him, unshed tears in her eyes.

"Oh, what did you do? You won, uh you won the lottery, and you didn't tell us?" Danny asked.

"She's talking about the asset forfeiture locker," Chin told them reluctantly.

"At HPD? They got jewels and stolen cars. They don't got that kind of money there," Danny said, confused.

"It's not that one, it's another one. Most cops don't know about it. It's where they keep the confiscated drugs and money while suspects await trial, but this one's only for the big scores," Chine explained.

"And they got $10 million in there?" Danny asked.

"They got $28,567,000 in cash, to be exact. It's all from one big drug haul eight years ago. When the investigation went cold, all that money just sat there. Three years ago, $200,000 of it went missing, and everyone started looking at me," Chin told them.

"Why? Why'd they look at you?" Danny asked.

"Because it was my case. This is the one I couldn't drop," Chin told them.

Kono picked up the story. "Someone framed him to end the investigation. First, they accused him of taking payoffs, then stealing from the locker," Kono told them. Now her eyes just held a determined look.

"Okay. Where is it?" Steve asked, knowing there was no way in hell he was going to let Kono go in alone, which she would do if they couldn't come up with a different plan. But this time there was no different plan. This was it.

"Think about what you're asking right now," Chin pleaded.

"All right, can we just... where is it?" Danny asked again. Chin still hesitated.

"Chin, please, this is your life," Kono said.

"It's underneath HPD headquarters in District 1," Chin gave in, "But no matter what you guys are thinking about doing, it's not worth it. Hesse is gonna kill me whether he gets that $10 million or not. You know that's true."

"Okay, yes, yes... I'm sure that is his plan, but with this money, I can get a face-to-face with him, and this is the only shot we got. Chin, you got to tell me how to get into that locker," Steve said, his eyes pleading silently with Chin.

"Everything you need to know is on a set of blueprints at my house," Chin finally said.

"Where in your house?" Danny asked.

"My bedroom, underneath the nightstand. Move it, and there's a loose floorboard," he told them.

"Don't move," Steve said, getting up.

* * *

Steve drove the van toward the spot where he'd get into the tunnel. Kono sat silently in the passenger seat.

"We're going to save him," he told her.

"I know," she said. He looked over at her. She was putting on a brave face, and he could see right through it.

"Kono, trust me," he said. She looked over, making eye contact with him, and she knew she did trust him with every ounce of her being. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Let's just get this over with. When Chin is safe, and Hesse is dead, we can both breathe a lot easier," she said. Steve nodded. He couldn't agree more.

As Steve went down to steal that money, Kono knew. She knew that her stupid little crush on her boss wasn't just a stupid little crush any more. Steve McGarrett wasn't just willing to go to bat for his friends, he was stealing $10 million to save her cousin's life. He could easily arrange for the drop and take Hesse out without worrying about Chin. But Steve was honorable, brave, and possibly a little insane. Kono admired all of that about him. He would do anything for the people he cared about, and she was honored to be counted among those people.

* * *

Kono rode in the back of Steve's truck, confident in him. She knew a thousand things could go wrong with this plan. Chin could still die. But she trusted Steve with her life and with her cousin's. And he trusted her to take the shot, even if it meant he wouldn't get the revenge he craved. She knew that was harder for him than he was letting on.

"Kono, we're here," he said. He watched in his rearview mirror as she climbed out of the bed and dropped off the back of his moving truck. He watched her go, finding he had full confidence in her. He had never experienced trust like that before her, before Five-0. He knew, as he drove toward Hesse. He knew that he didn't just see her like a coworker, like the rookie he'd asked to join his team. She was more than that. He didn't have time to think about that now. Hesse was in sight.

It was over in an instant. Hesse tossed the money into the fire, and she knew there would be consequences for that. She and Steve had taken that money, and they'd pay the price.

"Now!" Steve had said, and she'd taken the shot. Hesse had moved just enough that she didn't get the kill shot. Steve tackled him, and she quickly moved to join him down below. By the time she got to him, it was all over. Hesse was unconscious, and Steve had deactivated the bomb attached to Chin. She was just in time to watch the money burn, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"We'll figure it out," Steve said.

"Maybe not, but we knew the consequences," she said quietly, resigned to her possible fate. He looked up at her, in awe of the quiet and endless strength she seemed to possess. Their careers could be over because of what had just happened, and hers had barely begun. But she was okay with that if it meant her cousin was alive. She looked up at him, and he saw the vulnerability in her eyes. She was trying her best to be strong, but she was terrified of what this could mean. He didn't know what else to do, so he hugged her. She let him hold her, let his strong arms give her strength as hers failed. She dropped the sniper rifle in her hands so that she could wrap both arms around him, afraid if she let go, she'd collapse into tears. But when he did let go, she found she could still stand. She was still breathing. It was okay. They were okay.

* * *

They celebrated Christmas with Danny and Grace that night. Steve watched as Kono sat talking to Grace, making the little girl giggle. Kono was laughing too. Steve felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched her. This beautiful, strong woman was part of his ohana, but she was so much more than that. He knew putting into words what she meant to him might lead down a dangerous road. Danny sat down on the couch next to him.

"You, my friend, are screwed," Danny said. He had clearly noticed Steve watching Kono. And honestly? Danny's assessment was pretty accurate.


	15. 6x13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, my original idea for this chapter was like two paragraphs, but apparently we got a little wild. Not gonna lie, the end of this chapter made me start singing Hello Dolly. Bonus points to the person who knows the song. Also I don't know what was going on in this first scene, but the actors must've all struggled with their lines. Everyone was stuttering and repeating themselves like crazy. it made it nearly impossible to transcribe anything.

**6x13 Umia Ka Hanu**

They had all gone surfing. Steve loved surfing. But he had suggested this team surfing excursion for a different reason, well two reasons actually. The first was that he found it highly entertaining surfing with Danny. The second was that he hadn't seen Kono smile since she'd broken up with Adam right before he'd gone to prison. He needed to see her smile. And it had worked. When she was out on the water, she looked natural and couldn't stop smiling. She literally looked like she belonged out there, as if she was somehow part of the ocean that was surrounding her. Steve loved watching her surf. Danny noticed this kind of thing, so he'd been careful to limit his stolen glances and wistful looks.

"Well that was kind of awesome," Kono said as she pulled her shorts on.

"North Shore in January. Nothing comes close," Chin said in agreement.

"Yeah, but today was especially good. Off-shore winds, perfect overheads — it doesn't get much better," Kono said, looking wistfully back out at the water, being sure to keep her eyes from straying to Steve standing shirtless across from her. She had done good so far getting over him. She really didn't need his abs to deter that progress.

"Yeah, I'd say it could get a little better," Danny commented.

"What are you talking about? You were smiling out there," Chin said, pleased that he had seen Danny actually enjoying surfing.

"Nah, he wasn't. That was more like an anemic grin," Steve said, laughing. Kono and Chin chuckled too. Kono kept her head down, noticing that he was still shirtless out of the corner of her eye. If the man could just put a shirt on, she'd be a lot better.

"Well, let me explain that anemic grin," Danny started. They all knew this was leading to some bickering. "That is because you, my friend, are a wave hog," he said accusingly. Kono had been thinking the same thing, actually, but she wasn't about to start that conversation. She had punched guys for less than what Steve had pulled out there, but she also didn't think it would be a good idea to do that either. So she figured she'd let Danny have this one.

"Excuse me? I'm a wave hog?" Steve asked.

"That's right. Wave hog," Danny repeated.

"The man has a point," Chin ceded.

"Thank you," Danny said, pleased that someone was on his side. Kono figured it was her turn to jump in.

"Yeah, you weren't, um, the most patient in the lineup out there, boss," she spoke up. Steve had finally put a shirt on. He looked truly and utterly betrayed. But out of the four of them, she was the only former pro-surfer, so Steve certainly couldn't argue with her. He knew that. So he went a different route.

"See you're a wave hog," Danny said again, clearly happy with this surfing excursion now that Chin and Kono were with him on this one.

"Okay, fine. All right. No, I'm fine" Steve said, but there was already a defensive note in his voice, "You want the truth? You wanna know why I was doing the party wave thing?" Steve asked. This was clearly a trap. He was going somewhere with this, and it was going to provoke Danny. Kono knew it, and she was sure that Chin knew it too.

She said, "Yeah," all the same. Just to see where this was going.

"It was for his benefit, in case he got in trouble," Steve said.

"Oh, I see, I see. So you-you being a pig out there, stealing everybody's waves, that's for my benefit?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, it was so you didn't drown, okay?" Steve said. Kono was laughing as she dried her hair. Clearly, no one was buying what Steve was trying to sell, but he had started digging this hole, and he wasn't going to stop now.

"Listen to me. You want me on that wave. You need me on that wave," Steve said, looking at Danny.

"I see what you're doing there," Danny said, then looked at Chin. "That's uh...he's doing Jack Nicholson," he said.

"He is," Chin confirmed. Kono watched in silence, really enjoying this one. Sometimes, Steve and Danny could get irritating with their constant bickering, but this one was pretty entertaining, since Danny was clearly in the right.

"Which is good," Danny continued, "And it's very appropriate, too, because the last six years of my life have sort of been like The Shining, which is a film that, if you'd seen, you would know that Jack Nicholson spends the whole movie torturing a young boy named Danny."

"Like you're torturing me now," Steve said, as if somehow he was the victim in this.

"Gentlemen, as much as I'm enjoying this — and I am enjoying this — we should probably get going before traffic gets bad," Chin spoke up, ever the voice of reason.

"Absolutely right," Steve said, grabbing his stuff.

"Wave hog," Danny said, not one to let an argument die that easily.

"Party wave," Steve said, just to contradict him. "Whoa," Steve said a second later.

"What's up?" Chin asked.

"Traffic's jacked already. Kamehameha's like a parking lot from Wahiawa all the way through Pearl City. We gotta take the 83," Steve said.

"No, I don't wanna take the 83, drive all the way around the whole island; it's a nightmare," Danny argued.

"What?" Steve asked halfway through what Danny was saying. "Okay, we - it's another half an hour driving or another hour sitting in traffic," Steve said.

"Yeah, at least it's more scenic," Kono said. She actually really enjoyed taking the 83, especially when she could sit back and enjoy the smell of the ocean and take in the gorgeous views.

"Yeah," Steve said, glad that someone was on his side on something.

"I got a shortcut," Chin volunteered. Kono had been on shortcuts with Chin, and they never ended as well as he thought they would.

"All right, I'll take the shortcut, if it gets me out of the car with him earlier," Danny said quickly.

"We cut through the coffee fields in Waialua," Chin said.

"Wait a minute, the service roads?" Steve asked, thinking that was definitely worse than the 83.

"Mmm-hmm," Chin said, smiling.

"What are you crazy? One wrong turn up there, we'll be back here. It'll be midnight by the time we get home. No, no it's a maze up there," Steve protested.

"Well, maybe for a haole, but I used to ride those trails on my dirtbike when I was a kid," Chin said, grinning, clearly going for the shot that would hurt. He was just trying to provoke Steve now.

"Whoa," Steve said. Chin continued.

"Hey, we're gonna be home before you guys even reach Turtle Bay," Chin said, confidently.

"Cuz, I think you just threw down," she said, seeing the stunned look on Steve's face. The man couldn't resist a challenge, and Chin knew that.

"Oh, oh yeah, he threw down," Steve agreed. "You care to make this interesting, my friend?" Steve asked. Chin was still grinning confidently when he looked at Kono.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked, his confident smile dropping into a mischievous smirk.

"Little wager," Steve said.

"Yeah," Chin agreed.

"Good, first car to the Palace wins. Losers pay for dinner and drinks at Side Street. How 'bout that?" Steve said, glancing between Chin and Kono. Kono just looked very amused about what was happening. Danny looked annoyed, which was his usual face when Steve was around. Chin looked at Kono, and she silently agreed, wondering what she was getting herself into. Personally, she was unsure about Chin's idea, and definitely thought Steve would get there first, but she couldn't bail on her cousin now. Besides, if she took Steve's side, then Danny might bail just to escape him, and she'd be stuck with Steve for thirty minutes or more. She wasn't really about that. The whole getting over her boss thing, usually happened better when she could spend as little time one-on-one as possible.

"I like it. We're in," Chin had said.

"Whoa, hey, hey. Cool your jets, turbo," Steve said, "There's some rules to this game, okay?"

"Okay," Chin agreed.

"First one: no speeding," Steve said. Chin agreed. Kono was trying not to laugh as she wondered how many of these rules he'd break on his way back. She'd ask Danny later because he'd be all too happy to reveal the truth. She was pretty sure it was physically impossible for Steve not to speed. "Second one: no sirens," Steve said. Chin agreed. "Next rule: no HPD escort," he said.

"He's gonna break all these rules," Danny said. Chin and Kono laughed. Kono was once again glad she wasn't the only one thinking that.

"Hey, right here," Steve said to Chin, with the same seriousness that he talked to suspects.

"Right here," Chin repeated.

"You got it?" Steve asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Chin said.

"Okay fine, we all good?" Steve asked. Hearing no protests, he continued, "On your mark, get set, go," he said and took off sprinting. No one else moved.

"He's cheating already," Danny said. As they watched, Steve slid across the hood of the Camaro and jumped into the window.

"He just Bo and Luke'd that. Sweet," Kono said. _That was hot,_ her internal monologue reminded her.

Steve honked the horn.

"Let's go," she said, swatting Chin as they took off toward the Mustang.

* * *

Kono had her feet out the window as she sat back, enjoying the wind. They were speeding, but this was a backroad with no real speed limit signs, so she chose to ignore that. She was sure Steve was also speeding, and Danny was probably berating him for it. She smiled, thinking about them and how incredible the morning had been so far.

"Wow, I haven't seen that in a while," Chin said.

"Seen what?" Kono asked.

"That look on your face. _Hau`oli_ ," he said.

"Today was exactly what I needed. Thank you, cuz," she said. Chin accepted the thanks with silence, knowing that she didn't need to know that it was Steve who had suggested going surfing. He had known exactly what Kono needed. Chin had immediately agreed with Steve's suggestion, knowing how much it would mean to his cousin to be able to enjoy some waves on the North Shore with her ohana.

"What's been causing you to carry the weight of the world recently? If it's Adam, you know we've got guards looking out for him," he said. Kono was staring out the window.

"No, it's not that," she said softly, her voice almost lost in the wind.

"Steve?" he asked. She looked at him in surprise.

"I-," she started to say, but she really didn't know how to explain this to her cousin.

"Listen, cuz, it's the worst kept secret at Five-0 that you and Steve slept together and then you shot him down to take a chance on Adam. But now, you broke up with Adam. So what's going on?" Chin asked.

"I'm trying to get over Steve. He's my boss. We can't be together without a lot of complicated stuff happening. Yeah, I like him a lot, but I do also love Adam. And as weird as it may be, Adam's the safe choice. He loves me, and he's stable. He's not my coworker or my boss," she explained.

"You love Adam?" Chin asked. She nodded, looking over at him. He looked down at her. "My only question is this: are you in love with Steve?" he asked. She didn't answer, not because she didn't know, but because she did know, and she was afraid of what might happen if she admitted it out loud. He nodded, taking her silence as all the answer he needed. She sighed deeply.

"Speaking of significant others, what's up with you and Abby?" she asked, changing the subject to something much more lighthearted.

* * *

They were lost. Kono had known it for a while, but she was waiting on Chin to give up. He finally stopped the car.

"This doesn't look like a coffee field," she observed.

"Check the GPS again," he said.

"I can't. I have no signal," she said. Chin sighed, sinking down.

"Okay, go ahead, say it," he said. She bit her lip, looking around.

"I was not going to say that Steve was right," she told him. _But he totally was, and I definitely should have gone with my gut and sided with him,_ the competitive side of her reminded her. "I swear," she told Chin as he started laughing. "I was thinking it about 15 minutes ago when you passed that hoop pine for the fifth time, but I'm kind of over it now," she said.

"You're so funny," Chin said.

"Oh, yeah, and you're going to be picking up the Side Street tab, unless we get outta here soon!" she said.

That's when things went from slightly upsetting to horrifically awful. They saw the car, thought they'd ask for directions. And, of course, they stumbled upon two armed guys burying a body. As soon as Kono saw the guns, she knew they weren't going to make it back to the Palace before Steve and Danny. In fact, they'd be lucky if they even made it out of there alive.

* * *

Steve and Danny basked in their victory. Steve could almost taste that free food. Meanwhile, Kono and Chin dug hole big enough to bury three bodies. Their friends had no idea what was going on, and they'd probably be dead long before anyone even knew something was wrong.

* * *

"Sup?" Danny asked as Steve came to the door of his office.

"You hear from Chin or Kono yet?" he asked as he looked at his phone.

"No, why?" Danny asked.

"Well, 'cause they're not answering their phones, and they should have been here by now," Steve said. Chin and Kono were too resourceful. Steve had a nagging feeling that something was very wrong.

"Maybe they, uh, got car trouble," Danny suggested.

"Yeah, but why wouldn't they answer their phones?" Steve asked.

"Well, that's what I mean. You know, you warned them about those service roads. Maybe they got car trouble, and they got no signal up there," Danny said. Steve did not look convinced. To be honest, Danny wasn't either. They both knew that Chin kept his car in peak condition.

"Yeah," Steve said, turning to go, still worried.

"Well, if you're worried about it, we'll go up there, we'll go up to the North Shore and find them," Danny suggested.

"You know what, let's do that," Steve said, relieved. He was worried about Kono and Chin. Both of them. Equally. As his friends and coworkers. This had nothing to do with any feelings he may or may not still have for one specific team member.

* * *

Danny was realizing how hopeless this search was. There were so many roads, all shooting off of each other. It was a maze. They had tried pinging Chin and Kono's phones before they left with no luck.

"This is, this is ridiculous," he said, "They could've taken any one of these roads."

"Yeah, then we take them all until we find them," Steve said. Danny looked over at him. Steve looked worried.

"This is about her," he said. Steve had the decency to look confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"What am I talking about? You know exactly what I mean. You still have feelings for Kono. You two lunatics are clearly both trying to shove those feelings for each other aside, despite the fact that she's single again. Now that you don't know where she is and if she could be in trouble, you're worried that something could happen to her, and you won't have the option to confess your true feelings. You don't actually want to be with her now, but you like the option that she's close by," Danny explained. Steve didn't answer.

"Just help me look," he said. Danny took that as confirmation that he was right.

* * *

As it turned out, Steve was right to be worried. They came into the clearing just in time to see the men ready to execute Chin and Kono. Steve shot each of them once, and Danny shot one of the guys, just for good measure. He knew Steve had gotten them both the first time, but he wanted to contribute.

Steve saw her flinch when he fired. She thought she was about to die. Steve had tried so hard to make this morning perfect for her by planning this surfing outing, and it had ended with her thinking she was going to die.

"You alright?" he asked, as he checked the guy's pulse. Chin nodded. Kono looked down, avoiding his concerned look.

"Kono, you okay?" he asked. She nodded, still not really looking at him.

"Yeah," she said, finally making eye contact. He could see the terror in her eyes and worse, the acceptance. Steve wished he could kill these guys again for making her feel that way.

* * *

They still went to Side Street, but Steve insisted on paying. He even had his wallet, which they all had a good laugh at.

"He sped the whole time anyway," Danny revealed. Chin nodded, laughing. Kono took another sip of her beer.

"I need some fresh air," she said quietly and left the table. She went out in front, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths of the warm Hawaiian air. She almost didn't hear him come up next to her.

"Hey," he said gently, trying not to startle her. She didn't open her eyes.

"Hey," she said.

"You okay?" he asked. She opened her eyes and looked at him. His blue eyes were kind and filled with concern.

"Not really. I thought I was going to die today. And the only thing I could think about was you and your stupid blue eyes and your sweet smile and how much I want to be with you, even though I know I can't because you're my boss, and everything is too damn complicated that way," she said. His eyes widened in surprise as she finally voiced her feelings.

"I'm trying really hard to get over you. I'm even dating someone," he said. She looked away. He turned her around to face him again and looked her dead in the eyes. "But I can't get you out of my head. I planned a trip to the North Shore just so that I could see you smile again. I was so worried today that I was ready to search every road on the island to find you. I'm trying really hard to get over you, but I can't," he confessed.

"Steve, I just need space. We can't do this. We just can't, and you know it just as much as I do. So from now on, we need to keep our interactions to work only. No surfing trips, no drinks after work. Nothing," she said. She saw the hurt in his eyes. She felt that same hurt tearing her heart apart.

"Yeah, I get it," he said. But before she could walk away, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Just for a moment, she allowed herself to enjoy being in his arms. She relaxed, wishing for this moment to last a lifetime. But at some point, he let go and went back inside. And she walked away.


	16. 6x19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode had me wild because...well... Steve and Kono kicking butt together on an island.

**6x19 Malama Ka Po'e**

Their professional distance was working. The cases that they'd worked they'd kept a careful distance, not speaking to each other unless they had to, not getting into cars alone together. It was going really well, actually. Kono was starting to breathe easier. She noticed less and less how attractive Steve looked on any given day. Then Grover went on the run with his family. All rules or thoughts of distance went out the window. She and Steve went to the spot where Duke had two dead FBI agents. They rode all the way to Waimanalo Gulch Landfill together, a good thirty minute drive, but Steve could make it in 20 or less if he used the sirens, which he did. She reached for the radio less than five minutes out. She ignored Steve's warning glare. He didn't like people messing with his truck, but she didn't really give a damn about now. She needed something to distract her mind, both from Grover's family and from _him_. She absentmindedly flipped through radio stations and finally stopped on one playing a familiar tune.

He looked over at her, genuinely floored.

"REO Speedwagon? Really?" he asked. She was confused.

"Yeah, I love this song," she said defensively. He shook his head, giving in. But as she began to listen to the lyrics, she grew more and more uncomfortable. He was right; she should have just left the radio off. Turns out, the song "Can't Fight this Feeling" was actually about a friendship growing into something more and the people into the song finally just saying "screw it" and giving into their feelings, which she had known subconsciously, but had never thought was weird until this very moment. Kono tried desperately to think of a way to change the song without being obviously uncomfortable. She couldn't find one. So they listened to the terrifyingly too-close-to-home lyrics, each trying not to cringe or look at the other person. Blessedly, the next song had nothing to do with love.

* * *

Kono had no time to even think about that awkward car ride or the fact that she was trying to put distance between her and Steve. Because somehow, she ended up hijacking a helicopter while he grabbed the gear from the back of the truck. They both climbed in, quickly preparing for takeoff.

"Alright, got me?" Steve asked, as he got ready to lift off.

"Copy," she said. As they took off, she wondered if there was possibly a bigger helicopter they could have taken. It hadn't occurred to her until just now that she was very close to Steve in a very confined space. She shook the thought out of her mind, preparing for the task at hand.

"Steve, a plane just landed on a private strip on Ha'upu Bay. I'm trying to get the satellite repositioned, but it's going to take some time," Chin said over comms as they neared the island.

Steve looked over at her, and they exchanged a knowing look.

"All right, looks like we're gonna do this the old fashioned way," he said, as she picked up the binoculars. She hated that they worked this well together.

As they canvassed, she spotted a large building and movement around it. She got his attention with a tap on his shoulder.

"I got a building on the left, Steve," she said, not taking her eyes off of it. "I see a smokestack. Looks like an old sugar mill. Two SUVs in the front," she observed.

"It's gotta be Barnes. Hold on, I'm gonna peel off so they don't see us," he said before swerving them sharply away. He leaned with the helicopter, and she got a good whiff of his aftershave and gunpowder. It was such a uniquely _Steve_ smell that she almost forgot where she was for a moment. She refocused as he righted the helicopter and brought it closer to the ground. It only took them a minute to gear up after they landed. She followed him from the clearing to the sugar mill, easily keeping up with his fast pace.

"How are we playing this?" she asked as they approached the building Barnes was in.

"Uh, head on?" he replied, as if it was a trick question. There was an unknown amount of hostiles in that building, and it was just her and Steve here to take them out. She would say that she didn't like the odds being stacked against them, but she honestly wasn't sure they were. She rolled her eyes as Steve popped up from behind the crates as soon as the men exited the building.

"Five-0! Drop your weapons!" he called. To no one's surprise, they ignored Steve and instead began shooting. She knew how Danny felt when he complained that Steve wouldn't call for backup and was always getting him shot at. She'd have to give him more credit next time. She couldn't deny that she got an adrenaline rush out of it too though. She and Steve began alternating taking shots, and they began picking off Barnes' men together. She may have hated that they worked so well together, but she couldn't deny that it was times like this she was glad that they did.

Kono advanced, and she saw Steve dive and roll further over out of the corner of her eye. She knew that he was moving around to get the drop on Barnes and his men. She had to keep the guy distracted so that Steve could get around unnoticed.

"Move in!" he yelled before disappearing. Easy for him to say, he wasn't the one getting shot at. She stayed where she was, drawing the fire to her. He got the drop on one of them, and it was exactly the sort of distraction she needed. As soon as one popped out to see what was going on, she took him down. Barnes turned around, suddenly trying to figure out where the bullets were coming from, when Steve shot him. She stood up, nodding at Steve to let him know she was clear and unharmed. He approached Barnes.

"Shoulda stayed in Philly," he said. "I'll give Lou Grover your regards," he said, walking away. Kono joined him.

* * *

They hijacked a Jeep and drove out toward the location that Chin was seeing movement at on the satellite.

"Well, we just gotta find Grover and his family, and then we can go back to ignoring each other," Steve said as he drove. She looked over at him. He was watching the road for any traces of their friend. He was being dramatic and trying to bait her. She knew he was, but she still couldn't resist.

"Well, it's working for me. There's no strong, undeniable chemistry any more. And it clearly hasn't affected how effective we are together," she commented.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," he agreed.

"You guess? Steve, we just took out Barnes and all of his men by ourselves. There's no guessing. Stats don't lie," she said.

"That's not what I was talking about," he said, glancing over at her briefly. She didn't look away from the road. If she looked at him, she might revert back to everything she had been stamping down. She couldn't risk it. Operation Forget Steve was going so well. She was visiting Adam in jail. It was working. If she looked into these blue eyes, still filled with hurt, she'd be that stupid girl who had a crush on her boss and did stupid things like kiss him because he wanted her to distract him from his anxiety attack.

"There they are," she said, catching a glimpse of Grover in the brush up ahead. Steve slowed to a stop. As she took the guy from Grover away, she felt Steve's eyes on her back, watching her leave. She had deflected, and he had noticed. She had a feeling he wasn't going to let her get away with that one.

* * *

They flew the helicopter back together, leaving the HPD and SWAT helicopters to take the Grover family and the bad guys back to Oahu. It was silent for a couple of minutes. Chin had confirmed their comms were off, which Kono was unhappy about. That meant they could talk all they wanted, and Chin couldn't overhear them.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have baited you like that," he said, breaking the silence. She looked over at him in surprise.

"No, you shouldn't have. I'm doing well, but it's times like these that I'm reminded why I fell for you in the first place. You're headstrong and loyal and you'll do anything for the people you care about. It's one of the first things I noticed about you," she said.

"Kono, can I ask you something?" he asked, but she kind of got the feeling that he would ask anyway, seeing as he kind of had her trapped.

"Yeah, shoot," she agreed.

"Why are you so convinced things won't work between us? There are dozens of reasons I can think of, but most of them have to do with what people think is going on, and to be completely honest, I don't give a damn about their opinions," he said.

"Well...Adam is safe. He can offer security. He loves me. He seems like the perfect guy for me. You're...well...you. My boss, one of my best friends, and the person who would suffer the least in a relationship with his subordinate. I'm a woman and the youngest person on the team. People assume I slept my way to the top. There's all kinds of rumors circulating around HPD about whether I'm sleeping with you or Danny or both. But right now, they're all just rumors because there's no proof. If you and I went for it, those rumors would be substantiated. People would assume I get special treatment because I'm sleeping with my boss. It's too many complications," she explained.

"So you care what they think," he said. She shook her head.

"I literally don't care at all what they think. The problem is that what they think affects how they work. I'm a woman on an elite task force. I have authority. I have to earn their respect. If I don't have the respect of the HPD or of anyone else, things could go bad for me. It only takes one officer to ignore me because he doesn't respect me for things to go bad during an op and people get killed," she explained. He was a white man in authority, and he was kind of oblivious to things sometimes. At least he was listening; she'd give him that.

"Okay, that makes sense," he said finally.

"Good," she said, satisfied with herself, and sitting back. Then he spoke again.

"One date," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"Go out on one date with me just to see what happens. If it doesn't work out, then we agree to keep up with this distancing thing," he said. She looked out the window of the chopper at the beautiful ocean below them, contemplating. One date couldn't hurt, right?

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll go out on a date with you," she agreed.

Neither of them had any idea what could happen on one date. But they would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay short fun personal story. That scene with Steve and Kono listening to "Can't Fight This Feeling" happened to me when me and my ex (who I'm friends with now) were in my car alone for the first time since we had broken up. It came on my shuffle. Guys, it was mortifying.


	17. 6x21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If only i was as driven to write papers for school as I am to write this fanfiction. Ah well.

**6x21 Ka Pono Ku'oko'a**

Steve woke up to a warm body curled up against him and the smell of coconut with just a hint of gunpowder. He smiled when he remembered why. She shifted in her sleep, sighing. This was exactly how he always wanted to wake up, with her in his arms, in his bed. He just had to convince her of that.

Needless to say, Steve thought this one date thing had gone well. Kono had agreed to go out with him. They'd gone to lunch, but she was bored and antsy. So they went shooting together. That was either the worst mistake ever or the best decision ever because they both found themselves extremely turned on by watching each other shoot. Steve had convinced her to at least go somewhere more private. As soon as he had the car stopped at a remote overlook, she was kissing him. Turns out, the backseat of his truck had a lot more room than he realized. After that, they were starving, so they grabbed takeout on their way back to his house. A couple beers later landed them back in his bedroom. Which is where Kono woke up slowly, feeling the warm body next to her holding her close. She smiled lazily. Then she realized where she was. She tensed immediately.

"Please don't leave," he whispered. She should leave. She really should. Then she looked up into his blue eyes. The pleading look on his face was all it took. She relaxed into his arms. He kissed her forehead. She sighed.

"Steve, I shouldn't have let us get this far-" she started.

"Don't," he said.

"Don't what?" she asked. He didn't even know what she was going to say yet.

"Don't shut this down. Just enjoy it. I know you're happy. Just let us be like this for a while. We can pretend like it's not happening if that makes you feel better, just keep it a secret. But I can't keep living like I don't have feelings for you," he said. She bit her lip.

"A secret relationship?" she asked.

"Just until we figure out something else," he said.

"Okay. For now," she reluctantly agreed. His phone went off, signaling a text message. He reached for it.

"Nahele says it's an emergency," he told her, a regretful look on his face.

"Go. I can show myself out," she assured him. He got out of bed, still regretting that he had to leave her there.

He was still regretting leaving her when he found out that the "emergency" was a flat tire. But then he got the call for work.

* * *

"Kono, what do we know?" he asked her when he got there. Danny was giving him suspicious looks, but he didn't have time to talk to him right now. He'd tell him later how the date had gone. He had already decided that this secret had to extend to Danny because there was no way he could keep it from his partner.

After they had walked through the crime scene, Duke caught their attention.

"Steve, we got runners. Corrections identified six inmates unaccounted for, and the guard's gun is missing," he said.

"So I guess we got armed runners," Grover surmised.

"What's the matter, Duke?" Steve asked. Duke's eyes shifted over to Kono, not sure how to phrase this.

"Kono, one of the fugitives is Adam Noshimuri," he said. Kono controlled her reaction, trying not to let them know what a jolt his name was to her.

* * *

Steve gave a briefing about each fugitive, ending with Adam. He was intentional about mentioning that Adam was being forced along. He glanced at Kono as he did, but she wasn't looking at him.

* * *

As Steve and Danny walked, they argued about Adam's intentions. Danny was not convinced that Adam was being forced to go with the fugitives. Steve was sure that he was.

"He wouldn't do that to Kono," Steve said.

"I mean, it'd be convenient though. Adam gets more time added on, you get more time with Kono before her ex gets out of prison, and she goes running back to him," Danny suggested.

"Why would I want more time with Kono?" Steve asked.

"Tell me how the date went, you Neanderthal," Danny demanded.

"Now, Danny? Really?" Steve asked. He glanced back at Kono and Grover, who were in their own conversation. Danny was giving him a pointed look. "It went well. She slept over last night."

"She slept over last night? I thought you guys went to lunch?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, and then the gun range and then the backseat of my truck and then we grabbed dinner on the way back to my place where we watched a baseball game. And then she slept over," Steve explained.

"Too many details. Remind me never to get into your truck. That is disgusting. I hope you sanitized that thing," Danny complained. Steve grinned.

"And then I convinced her to pursue a secret relationship until we can figure out a plan for her to keep her upstanding reputation," he said. Danny almost tripped.

"You _what_?" he asked. He glanced back at Kono who was still talking to Grover but watching them with a clearly suspicious look. Danny looked back at Steve, realizing that he was talking about Steve and Kono's secret relationship while she held a gun in her hands.

"You obviously can't tell anyone," Steve said. Danny shook his head.

"Yeah, I know what secret means. But are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked.

Steve shook his head. "I don't know, man, but I do know that I can't take not being with her any more. If this is what we have to do to be together, then so be it," he said. Danny just shook his head.

Meanwhile, Kono and Grover were talking behind them.

"Need a little help carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders there, Atlas?" Grover asked pointedly.

"I'm just thinking about Adam," she admitted.

"Adam had to run. He didn't have a choice. Come on, you know that, don't you?" Grover asked.

"I do, and then my mind starts wandering. I found out that he had a visit from Gabriel Waincroft. I know it's not my place to confront him because I broke up with him, but it still makes me wonder, you know?" Kono said.

"Well, let me give you some advice. Follow your first instinct. Adam's a good guy. I know that, and you know it too," Grover said.

"Yeah," she said sighing. She watched Steve and Danny talking. Danny turned around to look at her, and she suddenly became suspicious. What were they talking about up there?

"You wanna tell me what's going on?" Grover asked.

"I don't know what you mean," Kono said, playing dumb.

"I've been a cop for years. You can't fool me. You and Steve have been dancing around each other for weeks and suddenly, you're exchanging long and meaningful glances. Danny's been giving you both suspicious looks since you stepped out of your cars this morning," Grover said.

"Ah, that," she said. She wondered how much she should reveal. Grover was trustworthy. She was pretty sure Steve had just revealed to Danny what they had decided. Grover deserved to know. She'd have to clue Chin in later too.

"So, Steve and I kind of have feelings for one another," she explained.

"Yeah, I know," Grover said impatiently. She looked over at him, a little annoyed that everyone apparently knew that.

"Anyway, yesterday Steve and I went on a date. It went well, and this morning we decided to pursue a secret relationship. I don't want people to not respect me because they think I've slept my way to the top. If I lose the respect of the HPD, it could cause a lot of problems for me professionally. So we're going to go with the secret relationship until we figure something else out," she explained. Grover chuckled.

"Let me give you another piece of advice. Secrets have a way of becoming scandals when it comes to police work," he said, "Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for the two of you. I've seen how you guys look at each other. But don't be afraid of being in love." Kono looked at Steve up ahead thoughtfully as she considered Grover's words.

* * *

They found Adam. They found him before the Yakuza could take him out or before Garavito could kill everyone. Kono was relieved to say the least. She saw the way Steve was watching her. She walked with Adam back to where the transport van was waiting for the prisoners, including the Yakuza members they'd taken in. She still cared about Adam a lot. She knew he still loved her. She hugged him one last time before he got in the van.

"I'm okay. Let me go," he whispered to her before he turned and walked to the van. He made eye contact with Steve right before he got in. He nodded knowingly at him. Steve nodded back. Then Steve looked over at her. She had this look on her face. He longed to take her into his arms and comfort her, but he knew he couldn't. She had ridden with Grover to the scene earlier, so he went over to her.

"Let me drive you back," he said. She nodded, not looking at him, still watching the van as it disappeared around the curve of the road. Steve gently guided her towards his truck. He saw Danny watching them, a sympathetic smile on his face. Steve acknowledged his partner with his own sad smile.

She was quiet on the way back.

"Are you gonna be okay?" he asked finally. She was still quiet. When he looked over at her, he saw the tears sliding silently down her face. Immediately, he pulled over. "Kono," he said. He got out of his side of the truck and went around. When he opened her door, she got out immediately and went into his arms. He stood there on the side of the road, holding her in his arms as she cried. He rubbed her back soothingly, not even able to understand what she was going through or thinking.

"I was so worried about him," she admitted, her voice muffled against his shoulder. He nodded.

"Yeah, that's understandable. He's important to you," he said. She pulled away from him.

"No, you don't get it. I was so worried about him, but I felt so guilty because I knew that I could never love him the way that I love you," she said. Steve felt his breath catch in his throat. They stood there, looking at each other for what felt like hours but was only a couple seconds.

"God, Kono, I love you so much. I just wanted to protect you from being hurt today. If I had found out that Adam had been a willing part of the escape, I think I would have shot him just for hurting you like that," he said finally.

She closed the space between them and kissed him with a passion that took his breath away and made his heart pound faster. When she pulled away, he thought his heart was going to explode with how much he loved her.

"Adam told me to let him go. He knew," she said. Steve nodded.

"Of course he knew," he said. "Now, get in the car. I'm going to drive you back to the Palace. I've got to tell Nahele that his father was one of the prisoner's we lost today. You're going to get in your car and drive to my house. I'm going to stop and get some food on my way home. And then we're gonna sit and drink away our sorrows and probably make out too," he told her. She smirked a little.

"Yes, sir, Commander," she teased.

"Don't mock me," he said, lightly smacking her ass as she turned to climb into the truck. She was still giggling when he got into his side of the truck. He wasn't sure if it was because she still thought she was funny or because she had a lot of emotions and didn't know how to externalize them. Either way, he had to smile at how beautiful she looked sitting in his passenger seat, smiling as she looked at him.

Today had been horrible, but at least one good thing had come of it. Their future together was looking up.


	18. 6x23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that this is my longest fanfiction ever. Wild. Also 6x25 is up next and it's gonna be a fun one.

**6x23 Pilina Koko**

"Speaking of people who need looking after, the killer saw Hirsch's face, so until we can catch this guy, he's gonna need some protection," Steve said.

"Yeah, who's, uh, who's gonna be in charge of that?" Danny asked, a twinkle in his eye. Steve smiled at his partner.

"I'm gonna put my best officer on it," he said.

"She's gonna kill you, my friend," Danny said.

"Do you wanna call her and tell her?" Steve asked hopefully.

"No, no. I wanna watch your face when she tells you that you're not gonna get any for the next month because of this," Danny said, grinning. Steve grimaced as he pulled out his phone.

* * *

She was going to kill him. There was no question about it. Gerard Hirsch smiled at her pleasantly as she ducked around the curtain the nurse pulled back for her.

"Officer Kalakaua. When they told me I was getting protection, I was hoping you'd volunteer," he said.

She tried to smile, but really she was pretty sure her smile just looked murderous.

"I didn't. You can thank McGarrett for this," she told Hirsch.

"I'll be sure to do that," Hirsch said, clearly pleased. He was definitely serious. He would thank Steve, that is, if he got to him before she killed him. "Question: if it comes down to it, would you take a bullet for me?" Hirsch asked.

"No," she said without hesitation, "But I might have to shoot myself to get out of this assignment." She made a mental to-do list: 1. Don't sleep with Steve McGarrett any more ever again 2. Kill Steve McGarrett and hide his body.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"After you, my dear," he said.

"You first," she told him, gesturing.

"If you say so," Hirsch said, getting up. "But, uh, no leering at the caboose. You're supposed to be on the lookout for threats. Unless of course, you want to…" Kono rolled her eyes up to avoid seeing anything she didn't want to see.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," she mumbled to herself.

* * *

He had a painting of her in his bedroom. And then he further incriminated himself by mentioning the other paintings. She took it back. Steve wasn't the only dead man. Gerard Hirsch was going to share his grave. And they'd both suffer before she killed them. She sent Steve a picture of the painting after she'd heard from the sketch artist.

_This isn't the only one. I'm actually going to kill you and hide your body somewhere they'll never find it,_ she said in the text.

"She's mad," Danny said when Steve read him the text.

"Yeah, but Danny. Look at the painting," Steve was clearly trying not to laugh as he showed Danny the picture. His partner bit his lip in laughter.

"You gotta work on your poker face, man," Danny said. "If you're laughing when you see Kono next, she's actually going to go through with that threat." Steve couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed at the mere thought of Kono furious with Hirsch in his apartment.

"On second thought, maybe we should send another officer over there. Hirsch doesn't just need protection from the killer. He also needs protection from her," Steve said. Danny just shook his head.

"I feel like you should be more upset about some guy painting portraits of your girlfriend," he said.

"I'm not worried," Steve reassured him. Danny gave him a pointed look.

"What if there are...you know...nudes?" he asked, almost whispering the last word. Suddenly, Steve was mad too.

* * *

Unfortunately, the next time they saw each other, Chin was being wheeled away toward a medevac.

"Steve," she said, as she came up to the scene. It was too late to catch the helicopter.

"He's okay. Listen to me," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. It was the only thing he could do to comfort her out in public like this and it was killing him. "He's gonna be alright. Two shots, through and through, no vitals, okay?" he said. She looked him in the eyes, and saw how confident he was. She nodded, still worried, but reassured now by Steve's assessment.

As soon as they were back at HQ, Steve stopped Kono as everyone split toward their respective offices.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just...tough day. Worried about Chin. I mean, he already lost Malia, but if he loses his niece too…" she said. She took a deep breath and shuddered a little at the thought.

"It'll be okay. We'll find Sara," Steve said. She nodded, but was looking anywhere but his face. She didn't want to seem weak in front of him. He caught her chin with his fingers and gently moved her face to look at him.

"Hey," he said softly. She looked at him, and he could see the fear in her eyes. Chin getting shot was not easy for her. She was terrified that she'd lose him. If something happened to Sara, he might never get over it. "I promise you that I am going to do everything that I can to get her back and make sure he's okay," he said. She nodded.

"Okay," she said. He pulled her into a hug, relieved that he could hold her like this.

"Love you," he said quietly.

"Love you too. Now let's get to work," she said. They moved into the offices, ready to rescue Sara.

* * *

He did exactly what he promised. He took the shot even though it meant losing their only tie to Shioma. But as he looked out the window at Chin and Kono with Sara. He knew without a doubt that he had made the right call. He'd taken that shot for Chin, but he'd take it again and again for her always.

* * *

She heard a knock at her door right after she'd gotten out of the shower after her surf lesson with Hirsch. She opened the door to reveal Steve with Chinese takeout in one hand, a pack of beer in the other hand, and a hopeful smile on his face.

"What is this?" she asked suspiciously, putting a hand on her hip.

"An apology for assigning you to Hirsch," he said hopefully. She laughed and turned to walk inside, leaving him at the doorstep.

"I think you mean the beginning of an apology," she called. He took that as an invitation. He followed her into the house, closing the door behind him. He set the stuff in his hands on the counter of her kitchen and came up behind her as she washed a cup in the sink. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

"I can think of some other ways to apologize," he suggested, his voice low next to her ear.

"I think that you're still gonna have to try pretty hard, if you think that's gonna work," she said, laughing. She was feigning immunity to his charm, but he was getting to her as his hands trailed around her waist and legs.

"I think you underestimate me," he said confidently before he caught her off guard and nipped her neck at the same time his hands got a lot more bold and hit their mark. She bit back a moan at the sensations.

"God damn it. Alright," she said. She turned around in his arms, kissing him hard. She could feel him grinning. He was such a competitive asshole.

"Besides, I think we both know you're mine. Hey, you think Hirsch would sell me one of those paintings?" he asked when he pulled away.

"Shut the hell up," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, leaning back in. She forgot all about all of the promises she'd made to herself earlier that day. So far she'd failed at both things on her to-do list. She'd slept with him again, and she hadn't killed him. But as they ate reheated Chinese food in her bed later and he smiled at her with those blue eyes that made her heart beat faster, she couldn't say she was mad about that.


	19. 6x25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this episode makes me die a little because of the whole Kono thanking Steve and kissing his forehead scene. Also, random side note, the guy who plays Nahele is my age irl and daaaang.

**6x25 Ke Ali'l Wale No Ka'u Makemake**

Steve was angry now, and Kono couldn't say that she blamed him. He had a special connection to Nahele, and she knew he'd do anything to protect the kid. This drug had killed enough. She found the guy in the meth house. He came at her, and she slammed her gun into his face. He went down, but he was still conscious, telling her just how high he was.

"You alright?" Steve asked, concern in his voice as he came into the room. She turned to look at him and nodded.

"Better than him," she replied. She would do anything to help him stop this new drug ring.

This of course meant that she got to go undercover. And the fool fell for it too. She had to laugh as the guy looked back in horror as Grover lifted his car up with the tow truck. And when Steve offered her the chance to smash the guy's car while he interrogated him. God, she could have kissed him right then and there. He knew how much she loved destroying things. And he loved intimidating people. This was really a win-win for everyone… Well, except for the guy who sold her the drugs that is. Steve was also wearing that snug navy polo that made her think bad thoughts, and the day really was looking up for her. So naturally that's when everything went to crap.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Kono asked, and Steve shrugged. He was explaining to her what the plan was in the privacy of his office while Danny explained it to Grover, Chin, and Jerry.

"It'll be fine. Danny and I will go in, we'll figure out all the players, and then we'll take them down. It's simple. I can fly a plane. It'll be easy," he told her.

"No, not that. You broke the man's arm?" she asked. He froze, his mouth open as if he was going to say something or protest.

"Okay, I've got nothing," he finally said. "Yeah, I broke his arm. He needed a reason he couldn't fly. I gave it to him. It was the least I could do for the scumbag that's been helping smuggle drugs onto the island."

"God, you're unhinged," she said quietly to herself. "Go. Be safe," she said to him. She was trying not to smile, and he could see it. Before he left, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"Love you," he told her, smiling fondly. She shook her head.

"Love you too. Now go, you idiot. Try not to get yourself killed," she said.

* * *

She sat in her office, feeling helpless later. Steve and Danny had gone to make the initial meet. Once their target took the bait, then they'd go flying. For now, they just had to look the parts. She snatched her phone up as soon as she heard it go off. She smiled as she opened the picture Danny had sent her. It was a picture of Steve, working diligently on the plane. It was clear that Steve didn't know his partner had taken the picture. Danny sent another text right after the picture.

_We'll be fine. Steve's a natural. Don't worry about us._ She texted him back thanking him. She did feel a little better. She also made a mental note to herself that Steve McGarrett needed to wear that getup a little more often. She almost liked it as much as the navy polo.

* * *

She knew it was a bad idea. She knew something was going to happen. She'd have to save the "I-told-you-so's" for later.

"Officer Kalakaua?" the voice on the other end of the phone said.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you. Thanks for letting us know," she said. She hung up. She moved slowly as she came out of her office to Chin and Grover. The words the woman had said were still sinking in.

"Kono?" Chin asked, seeing the look on her face.

"I just got a call from Honolulu HIC. Somebody attacked our transport mid-flight. Steve's been shot," she told them.

"Shot. Is he okay?" Chin asked.

"He's not responding," Kono said, feeling the initial shock wear off and the fear start to sink in.

"Who's flying the plane?" Grover asked. Kono looked at him, barely able to think straight let alone process what he was asking.

"Danny's being directed by the air controllers. But he doesn't have enough fuel to make the runway. They want him to ditch, but he's refusing because Steve's won't make it if he does," she said. Her mouth saying the words. She felt the tears in her eyes before she could stop them. She felt her breath get shorter as the tears began falling. Steve had been shot. There was a good chance he wouldn't make it. Chin pulled her into a hug.

"Hey. He'll be okay. You know him. He's too stubborn to die," he told her, but over her shoulder his eyes met Grover's. They both knew he was lying to comfort her. They were worried.

* * *

Kono sat in the passenger seat of the SUV, listening to Danny talk to the tower. It didn't sound good. Not one bit. If Danny was refusing to land on the water because Steve was unconscious, it didn't bode well for him. She closed her eyes, sending a silent plea out for help.

She took a deep breath, compartmentalizing the worry she felt for the man she loved. She needed to help. She was part of Five-0, not some useless citizen. She called in the evacuation, so that the beach would be clear when Danny landed. She gritted her teeth as Grover drove faster.

"He'll be okay, Kono," he said. She looked over at him.

"He better be. He asked me to move in with him, and then the goddamn CIA kidnapped him, and I haven't had a good chance to tell him yes," she said.

* * *

She watched in absolute terror as the plane plummeted to the ground. She stood back as Chin and Lou pulled him from the plane, all too aware that she had to uphold the pretense that they weren't dating. But she drew the line when it came to going to the hospital. Danny absolutely refused to leave Steve's side, and he took her hand to pull her into the back of the ambulance. He didn't let go of her hand as they hung back, watching the EMTs work frantically. She squeezed it, grateful that Danny knew how much Steve meant to her.

As soon as Steve was rushed back, Danny waved the nurse off.

"You should get yourself checked out," she said. Lou and Chin had just come inside.

"I'm fine," Danny told her.

"Where is he?" Chin asked.

"They just rushed him into surgery. EMT said he lost a lot of blood," Danny said.

"You know Steve's as tough as they come, Danny, okay? He's not gonna go out without a fight," Grover said. Danny nodded as he took off down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Kono called. Danny ignored them, so they followed him.

* * *

Kono was all too happy that they had some people to shoot at. Someone needed to pay for hurting Steve, and she was with Danny all the way.

Then Danny got the call that made them rush back to Tripler. She wasn't sure who had let her drive, but she was glad that they had. Danny sat in her passenger seat, not complaining one bit about how fast she drove.

* * *

Steve needed a new liver, and Danny immediately volunteered, not hesitating to do it. They took him back to prep, and Kono sighed, worried, but knowing that needed to wait.

"I'm gonna go get Grace," she told Chin and Grover. She left without another word. She called Rachel on the way, who told her she'd call the school immediately and make sure Grace was ready when she got there. She drove in silence, appreciating the chance to be alone and cry for a while. When she got to the school, she took a deep breath, gathering herself before she saw the girl. She needed to reassure her, not scare her. As soon as Grace saw her, the girl threw herself into her arms. Kono tried not to start crying again.

"Auntie Kono!" she said, joyfully.

"Hey, Gracie. Come with me. There's something I need to tell you," she said. She explained on the way to Tripler what was going on. Grace was brave, and though she was worried, she nodded solemnly, understanding fully that her dad was risking a lot to save Uncle Steve. Kono saw her crying silently.

"It's okay to be worried, Gracie. I'm worried too. But Danno's gonna be fine, and he's the reason Uncle Steve will be too," she reassured her. Grace nodded, smiling a little, despite the tears. Once Grace was with her dad, Kono left. Chin found her as she walked away from Danny and Grace.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" he asked. She knew he could tell she'd been crying.

"First you, now Steve...I'm tired of us getting shot at," she said. Chin hugged her. That wasn't all she felt, and he knew it.

"God, Chin. He asked me to move in. What if...what if I don't get a chance to tell him yes. What if we don't get our shot at happiness?" she asked. Chin pulled back and looked her in the eye.

"Don't think that way. He'll be fine," he told her. But neither one of them could be sure of that.

When Nahele got there, Kono hugged the kid. He may see Steve as a father figure, but he'd come to mean a lot to her too. She was much too young to be his mother, as she reminded Steve several times. But she liked to think of herself as his older sister, and Nahele seemed to appreciate having a badass surfer older sister.

They sat there, waiting for what seemed like forever. Kono wrapped herself in Steve's old Navy hoodie, and no one questioned it. She sat there, breathing in the smell of him, trying to calm her fears. It didn't work. Finally, after what felt like years, the doctor came out.

"They're gonna be okay," he said. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The tears started again, but this time out of relief. She hugged Grace, not able to stop smiling.

The doctor let her in to see Steve before anyone else.

"Hey, Steve," she said quietly, knowing he was unconscious and couldn't hear her.

"Why is that people never say what they want to say until something like this happens? The day I met you...six years ago...Waimea Bay...you changed my life. You gave me more than just a job...you gave me a family. You gave me love. And I never told you how much I appreciate it all. And yes, I will move in with you. Because I love you, Steve, and I'm not letting this go. So you gotta get better because I'll have your whole house rearranged and messy by the time you get back," she said, smiling at his peacefully sleeping face. She placed a gentle kiss to his lips before she slipped back out of the room.

Later, they all stood around Danny and Steve, laughing. Everyone filtered out, heading to Max's going away party, but Kono hung back.

"In case you missed it because you were unconscious, my answer is yes," she told Steve. He looked at her in confusion. "I will move in with you," she clarified. It had been a long time since he'd actually asked, what with the whole CIA taking him to visit Wo Fat's father and such. His face lit up.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, so you better hurry up and heal. You know how messy I am, and I'm moving in as soon as possible," she said.

"Oh no. Kono, do not wreck my house. You know how clean I like it," he said. He was completely serious, and it made her laugh.

"I'm teasing you. It'll be spotless for you when you get out. I promise," she said. She leaned over and kissed him.

"Hey!" Danny exclaimed, "Listen, I may think this is great, but if you could limit the kisses, that'd be nice!"

"Don't look," Kono told him and kissed Steve again.

"My eyes! Oh god!" Danny proclaimed dramatically.

"Alright, I'm going to go drink some beer now. You two try not to kill each other," she told them. After she left, Danny looked over at Steve grinning.

"You asked her to move in?" he asked. Steve nodded.

"Yeah, man. I know it hasn't been that long since we started dating officially, but it's right. I considered buying a ring actually, but I think we need to figure out the whole 'secret' aspect of our relationship before I propose," he said. Danny gawked at him.

"Steven McGarrett, did you just say you want to marry her?" he asked.

"Yeah, man. I love Kono. She's it for me. I'd marry her right now if I could," Steve said, grinning. "Now where's that remote?"


	20. 7x01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the emotional roller coaster begin.

**7x01 Makaukau 'oe e Pa'ani**

Kono and Grover stepped out of the elevator just in time to nearly get plowed over by Steve and Danny racing down the hallway in their wheelchairs.

"Oh, yeah, that seems like a real good idea," Grover said. They watched them go down the hallway, nearly knocking people over the whole time.

"Ten bucks on Super SEAL," Kono said.

"Oh, sister, you got yourself a bet," Grover said, then chuckled to himself. "Although, I'm pretty sure it's not a fair bet since you're dating him so you have to bet on him," he added.

"Oh, please, I'd bet on him no matter what. You've seen him drive, right?" she said, and they both laughed.

They watched as Danny sabotaged Steve, causing him to take a tumble out of his wheelchair. Kono knew she should probably help her boyfriend up, but she just laughed and rolled her eyes as she handed the money to Grover.

"Mahalo," Grover said, grinning proudly at Danny.

"Thanks, babe," Steve said with just a hint of sarcasm.

"You're welcome," Kono and Danny replied in unison. Grover just laughed as Kono and Danny glared at each other.

* * *

Getting everyone to Five-0 was a feat in and of itself. Grover took Danny in his SUV, but Steve and Kono took his truck, because they wanted to be "alone." No one wanted to think too long on that one, so they allowed it.

As soon as they were in the truck, Steve leaned over and kissed her. She smiled as he pulled away.

"I've missed you," she said.

"I've missed you too. This has been torture, let me tell you. I cannot wait to get home tonight," he said.

"Oh yeah, home. About that, I got all new furniture and moved everything around," she said nonchalantly. She could only hold the poker face for a couple seconds before she burst out laughing at the stricken look on his face. "I'm kidding, babe. Everything is exactly the same as when you left, but my stuff is there now too," she reassured him. He let out a sigh of relief.

"You scared me, damn it. Don't say stuff like that," he said. She just laughed in response.

* * *

Kono was ready to defend her man's honor.

"You can't call it victory if you cheat," she told Danny.

"I did not cheat. I did the same thing he would've done, only sooner. Besides, he was drafting off me the whole time," Danny argued back.

"Where in the rule book does it say I can't do that?" Steve asked, jumping in. Kono was grinning.

"I don't know. It's probably right next to the page where it says, 'You're an idiot if you challenge somebody to a wheelchair race,'" Danny said.

"Bigger idiot if you accept…" Steve mumbled.

"Kono, I know what you're trying to do, and you ain't getting your money back. You know what, McGarrett? I thought when you had your near-death experience and your man gave you part of his liver that you'd become closer, but now that that's been blown to hell, we'll settle it like this, have another wheelchair race next time you're both in the hospital," Grover said.

"That-that should be very soon," Danny said.

"All right," Steve said at the same time.

"Knowing this genius," Danny finished.

Steve threw his arm around Kono.

"Thanks for betting on me, babe," he said.

"Don't 'babe' me. You cost me 10 bucks because you couldn't beat him in a wheelchair race," she said, pushing his arm off of her. Danny grinned proudly while Grover chuckled. That's when they found the body.

* * *

Steve had overdone it. No one was really surprised. Kono was securing the building while he was getting checked out, but she left when she saw him arguing with Danny. She approached them just in time to hear how frustrated Danny was with Steve trying to get himself killed.

"Danny, thank you," Steve finally said.

"You're welcome," Danny said.

Kono came up next to Danny, giving Steve a clearly concerned look. She exchanged a knowing look with Danny. Then Danny left, knowing that if anyone could talk some sense into Steve, it was her.

"Just stop," she told him, sounding exhausted. He looked up at her in surprise.

"Stop what?" he asked.

"Stop being a stubborn son of a bitch who won't let anyone help him. We care about you, Steve. That's why we're pestering you to take care of yourself. Just sit here and rest at least while we find this guy," she said. He looked at her, his eyes already begging her forgiveness.

"Kono, you know me better than anyone. You know I can't sit this out," he said, standing up. He felt a pang of guilt at the hurt look in her eyes, but he didn't have time to continue the conversation because Chin came up just then, telling them that the hotel had been secured. His eyes begged her to understand, but she just looked away, biting her lip and focusing back on the job.

* * *

Steve had decided to go home, rather than go out. Kono had suggested going out for a beer. He was looking between her and Danny, gauging their reactions. Danny was clearly pleased, but she had this look on her face that he couldn't read. She went out to drinks with the team anyway, leaving him to go home alone. She was less than one beer in, and she was miserable. She had done this to punish him, but she was the one suffering. And worse yet, everybody knew it.

"Kono, go home," Grover finally said.

"Seriously, we know you want to be with him. So go. I'll cover your drink," Danny told her too. She looked over at Chin and Abby, who were giving her sympathetic looks. So apparently she was that transparent.

"Thanks guys," she said. She got up and nearly ran to her car. On the way home, her phone rang. She was surprised to see Duke's number.

"Hey, Duke," she answered.

"Hey, Kono, I thought you should hear it from me. There are rumors going around HPD like wildfire today. Someone saw you and Steve outside of the hospital this morning," he said kindly. She felt her heart sink. She had let Steve kiss her in plain daylight in his truck right outside the hospital. Of course someone had seen them.

"Thanks," she said.

"I'm sorry," he told her in a sympathetic tone. She hung up the phone and drove home with a pit in her stomach the whole time. She let herself in when she got there. Steve was sitting on the lanai out back. She trudged back there and sunk into a chair next to him.

"They know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Who knows what?" Steve asked, turning to look at her. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes that she loved so much.

"Someone at HPD saw us kissing outside the hospital. Duke just called to tell me that the rumors are circulating already," she said. He was taken aback. She looked away, tears forming in her eyes in the tension-filled silence.

"You know I don't care about the rumors. And I don't think anyone's stupid enough to disrespect you. I mean-" he started, but she cut him off.

"Steve," she whispered, and he yearned to hold her. She sounded so hurt.

"Yeah?" he asked, his voice dropping down to a whisper too.

"We have to break up."

Their hearts shattered simultaneously.


	21. Flashback to 2x05

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I started rewatching the show again, and I couldn't get this episode out of my head. It really hurts the way they look at each other in this episode. And then they just move on in the next episode like nothing happened. i needed closure.

**(Flashback) 2x05 Ma'ema'e**

He had failed her. When Lori told him that Kono had driven their suspect's getaway car, he felt like all of the air had been sucked out of his lungs. When Chin told him what he knew, he couldn't think straight because he was so worried about her. When she sat there silent as he demanded answers, he was so frustrated, but he honestly couldn't say whether he was more upset with her or himself. When she looked him in the eyes and said she couldn't ask for better back up, he felt a wave of guilt crash over him. He didn't deserve her forgiveness. He had let her take the fall for something they had done together. They had stolen that money. She had been involved because it was her cousin sitting there with a bomb on his neck because of his vendetta with Victor Hesse. He had let her go through that alone. And now she had been undercover this whole time, and he hadn't even known. He had been so distracted with Joe White keeping secrets and trying to investigate his father's case that he hadn't been there for her. And when he hit Fryer, he was furious with him for putting Kono in that position, but he was also furious with himself for not reaching out to her. That was the only thing he could think about as he knocked on her door that night. He didn't blame her for not answering the door. Her car and bike were both there, which meant she was probably inside. He banged on the door again.

She sat inside on the couch, listening to him knocking relentlessly. She didn't want to see him. It hadn't been hard to play the role of the cop that everyone had turned their back on. She hadn't heard a word from him or Danny. It hurt. She and Steve had taken that money together, and he had told her that everything would be okay, and it wasn't. And to top it all off, she had found out from Frank Delano of all people that he had replaced her. There was a new blonde on the team, and she was the one who put the cuffs on her when Steve wouldn't do it himself, which stung more than he could know. She sat on the couch, letting the tea in her hand grow cold as he stood outside. He wasn't going to give up, and she knew it. He had been out there for a good fifteen minutes at least.

"Kono, I know you're in there. Please," he said, his pleading voice muffled. She could hear the pain in his voice. He was beating himself up enough over this.

She reluctantly stood up and opened the door. He stood there looking pitiful on her front porch.

"Can I come in?" he asked. She took a deep breath before she moved away from the door, gesturing for him to come inside. He hadn't been inside her house before, and he took a moment to orient himself, looking around. It was a purely Kono house, and he smiled slightly seeing the surfboards scattered throughout the house and the bright walls. It was pretty much exactly the opposite of his clean house with white walls.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly. She had returned to her spot on the couch, holding her tea, though she still wasn't drinking it. He sat down next to her.

"I want you to hear me say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being there for you, for not realizing what was going on sooner, and for everything you've been put through because of me. I want you to know that as soon as I heard that they were stripping you of your badge, I went straight to Governor Denning's office and demanded that he reinstate you. He refused, of course, and I was furious," he said. He nearly smiled at the memory. He had thought Denning was going to fire him right then and there because of how Steve had stormed into his meeting like that. "But that's no excuse. I should have stood up for you more, and I should have at least tried to be here for you. After all, I'm the one who brought Victor Hesse into our lives, and I'm the one who stole the money," he said. She looked at him, a fierce look in her eyes that startled him.

"Don't you dare put that part on yourself. You had no idea that Hesse was going to put a bomb around Chin's neck when you recruited us, and we knew exactly what we were signing up for. I don't regret joining Five-0 and I guarantee that Chin doesn't either. And I was more than willing to take the fall for taking the money if it kept you out of jail. Trust me, IA asked. They were very thorough. They wanted to know who else was involved, and they were sure you had something to do with it because it was Hesse, but I had to keep my mouth shut. If they had come after you, I would have confessed in a heartbeat," she said.

"I considered confessing to protect you," he admitted. She looked startled. "When I was in prison and had been framed for the governor's murder, Danny told me that you might lose your badge, and I considered turning myself in. I was already looking at life in prison, so I figured I'd save you the trouble. But then Hesse shanked me and got me out of there, and you know the rest," he explained. She shook her head.

"Steve, I am disappointed that you guys didn't have my back this whole time, but I'm glad. I don't know if I could have kept up the charade if I had you and Danny constantly trying to keep me out of trouble on top of Chin. I was glad you were ignoring me because it made the role that much easier to slip into," she admitted. He grabbed her hand, startling her.

"Kono, I promised you at your graduation that I would always do everything I could to protect you, and I failed. I broke that promise. I'm not expecting you to forgive me or to trust me right away, because you shouldn't honestly, but I do need you to know that I will never let that happen again," he swore. She smiled, a kind and knowing smile that made his heart do something funny. _What the hell just happened?_ he thought to himself, taken aback by his own reaction.

"I forgive you, and I trust you. I wasn't lying when I said I couldn't ask for better backup. You guys have always had my back, and I did see you hit Fryer. I know that if I had come to you and told you what was going on, you would have had my back. It's okay, Steve," she told him. She set her left hand over his hand that was still holding on to her right. He still hated himself for letting her down, but he squeezed her hand once gently before he let go.

"Well, I was going to bring a case of beer, but I figured you were on pain meds," he said gesturing to her bandaged arm. "So, what do you think of ordering Chinese food in, on me?" he offered. She grinned.

"Sounds good," she agreed. She'd have preferred the beer, but she figured her doctors wouldn't like it if she skipped on the pain meds in favor of alcohol.

"We could watch a movie too," he suggested.

"How do you feel about Top Gun?" she asked, smiling as she stood up. His face lit up like a kid on Christmas Day.

"That's my favorite movie," he told her.

"Mine too!" she exclaimed.

* * *

Steve kept her a little closer after that. He trusted her entirely, but he needed to keep her close to protect her. He had failed her once, and he swore he'd never do it again.


	22. 7x04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I simultaneously love and hate this storyline from the show. I'm just not a huge fan of Alicia because of this weird "chemistry" between her and Steve. It's just...awkward.

**7x04 Hu a'e ke ahi lanakila a Kamaile**

Three weeks. It had been three whole weeks since Kono and Steve had broken up. Three weeks since she'd shown up on Chin's doorstep with all of her stuff in her car, asking for a place to stay. Three weeks since Steve had shown up on Danny's doorstep and nearly collapsed into tears before he could get inside. Three weeks since Kono had been trying her damndest to avoid Steve at work in an effort to make this easier on them. And then Steve had to go and get himself kidnapped...by a serial killer, no less.

* * *

Kono was worried sick about him when he didn't show up. Chin had left a couple of messages. She had tried calling him a couple of times. Grover had tried. They were worried. Lou had even called Danny, who hadn't heard from him either.

When Grover asked her to trace his phone, she didn't have to be told twice. She was trying not to show it, but she was really worried. Two hours had gone by since he had asked them to meet him. It wasn't like him at all.

* * *

Chin drove fast while they chased the signal on Steve's phone. Kono was grateful. She had started to go for her car, but she was pretty sure Chin knew how upset she was, and he refused to let her drive. She can't say how many more traffic laws she would have broken had she been driving. They found the signal, but it was in the truck of a delivery driver. The guy had no idea what they were talking about. She wanted to hit something when she found Steve's phone in a box in the back of the truck.

She was antsy as Chin drove. She needed to do something, anything to find him.

"You know, you broke up with him," Chin reminded her, not looking over. She clenched her teeth.

"I know, Chin. I'm just worried about our boss and friend," she lied.

"Kono, I know that you're lying. You're worried about him because you're still in love with him," he called her out. _Bastard. Don't do that. I'm trying to pretend like I'm not in love with him,_ she thought.

Out loud she said, "Let's just focus on finding him." Chin looked over at her, seeing her knee bouncing and her chewing on her lip.

* * *

As soon as she saw the chess set in Madison Gray's house, Kono knew. She knew in her gut that the serial killer was this Dr. Gray, and she had Steve. She breathed shakily, terror and anger simultaneously pumping through her veins, as she and Chin looked at each other.

* * *

She was grateful for someone to shoot at, she wouldn't lie. But when she saw that woman holding Steve's gun, she was inexplicably furious. No one should be shooting that gun except him. She and Chin finally took the couple down. She felt a panicked breath escape her as she realized they still didn't know what had happened to Steve. That's when Chin saw him. She turned around as Chin began to run. She followed him, seeing Steve and Alicia Brown walking holding hands. They were soaking wet. She nearly knocked him over when she launched herself into his arms. She didn't mind getting wet. Chin took Alicia, helping her over the rock.

"Please don't ever get kidnapped by a serial killer again," she said. She felt him smile.

"Trust me, I'll actively avoid it," he assured her. She finally pulled away and felt her chest tighten with love as she looked into his eyes. He started to lean in, almost instinctively. She almost let him.

"You need to get checked out," she said, turning and heading toward Chin's car, where HPD was arriving.

He stood there for another second, watching her go. His heart broke all over again, seeing that desperate and yearning look in her eye and watching her shut it down and walk away from him again.

* * *

He was wearing the goddamn blue polo. She watched him from her office. She had heard they had found his truck. HPD had already sent the crime scene photos over. She was grateful to be in her office when she saw them for the first time. She closed her eyes, fighting the memories they had made in that truck.

_His lips were on hers, his hands were desperately pulling at clothing. They were in the backseat of his truck. They both smelled like gunpowder from shooting at the range, and Kono loved it. His knee was firmly planted between her legs as he awkwardly hovered over her. He left a trail of kisses down her neck and literally tore her button-up shirt open. One of the buttons went flying, and they never found it. That was the least of her worries at that moment though. She moaned impatiently as he unzipped her jeans and pushed them off. He just grinned._

She shook her head, desperately trying not to think about that date. She refocused on the crime scene photos, but found her eyes drifting up to see him pacing in his office while on the phone. His free hand moved as he talked, and her eyes were drawn to the way his shirt stretched over the tattoo as he waved his arm. She bit her lip, her mind full of images of the things he could do with that arm. She was so preoccupied, she almost didn't hear her cell phone ringing. She was startled when she realized it was Chin, who was sitting in his own office.

"Why are you calling me?" she answered, looking at him through the glass.

"I was just going to warn you that it's pretty obvious that you're sitting there pining. If you want us to believe you're getting over him, you should really try harder," he said. He gave her a sympathetic look. She maintained eye contact as she ended the call. Chin just shrugged. She looked back down at the crime scene photos, her heart aching for the memories they'd made in that truck.

They had told each other they loved each other for the first time while standing next to that truck. Maybe this was good. Maybe it was a fresh start. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Yeah, a fresh start. That was good. But when she opened her eyes, she found them drawn back to Steve in his stupid navy blue polo.

"Dammit," she whispered.


	23. 7x05 and 7x07

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright two episodes because they're short. And I've finally allowed Catherine to exist. You'll see that she and Steve have history. But for the purposes of this story, she's more like an old friend that does him favors throughout the series, not someone he's romantically involved with.

**7x05 Ke Kū 'Ana**

Adam was released from prison. She went to pick him up. He was glad to see her. She was genuinely glad to see him too.

"How are...things?" he asked on the ride to Kamekona's, where the rest of Five-0 was waiting on them. They had insisted on throwing a mini welcome-home party for Adam.

"By things you mean…?" she asked, but she was pretty sure she knew what he meant.

"Steve. How are you and Steve?" he asked. She took a moment to steady herself, keeping her eyes on the road.

"We dated. We broke up. That's all there is to it," she said.

"Kono, I know you. I want to be your friend. So tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"I miss him," she blurted out, surprising herself. She glanced over at Adam, who was giving her an encouraging look.

"I mean, we dated secretly. I moved into his house while he was in the hospital. But I was so worried about my reputation with the HPD that when they found out we were together, I broke it off. I chose my job over him. And I do wish we could be together. But more than that, I miss the good days before we were dating, when we were just friends who probably had more feelings than they should, you know?" she explained. Adam nodded.

"So, just go back to that," he said. She pressed her lips together.

"Thanks, smarty pants, I don't know what I've done without you. It's not that easy though," she said. Adam shook his head, chuckling.

"Oh, Kono, it is that easy," he said, "After all, I just did it, and you are completely comfortable with it. Even if you have feelings for him, just tell him you want to be friends and move on." She still looked skeptical, and Adam didn't blame her. She was absolutely right to doubt him, because he knew for a fact that that would only work for a while. Kono Kalakaua deserved happiness, and she'd only get it when she was honest with herself and gave into what she wanted.

* * *

They all sat laughing and talking. It was so natural. Lou was teasing Adam about losing weight. Kono took a deep breath and caught Steve's eye.

"Can we talk?" she asked quietly. He looked surprised but stood up and walked with her closer to the water.

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could go back to being friends," she said, looking up at him, watching his reaction. He took a deep breath and looked out at the water.

"Do you think that's gonna work?" he asked finally, crossing his arms and looking her in the eye. Her heart ached, seeing the hurt in his blue eyes.

"I don't know, but I hate this. I can't keep working with you and just ignoring you. We have to try something. I want us to go back to the way things were before everything got complicated," she explained. Steve looked uncertain still. She had hurt him, and she wouldn't blame him if he pushed her away.

"Okay," he finally said, relieving some of the burden she felt. "We can try, but I can't promise anything."

"I wouldn't expect you to. Thank you," she said, feeling hopeful for the first time in a long time. He nodded and walked back to the table without another word. She followed him, catching Adam's eye as they approached and nodding. Adam smiled kindly at her. She really didn't deserve a great friend like him.

* * *

**7x07 Ka makuahine a me ke keikikane**

Kono could not believe that Steve had gone to Morocco without telling any of them. Danny had called Lou, worried about what he was up to. Lou had in turn called her. She had called an old friend, who had connected her to a friend at the CIA that told her that an old friend of Steve's had gotten wind that his mother was in trouble. Doris McGarrett was in trouble, and he hadn't bothered to tell any of them. Kono wasn't just mad at him for not relying on his friends, she owed Doris one for helping get her and Adam out of town. He could've at least let her in on his plan. Fortunately his phone came online, and they got a location. They were on a plane as soon as they could be.

* * *

Steve had taken out Chin before he realized who they were. He was still catching up when he looked over his shoulder and saw Kono and Grover. She was giving him this look that said she was confused, and she might kill him.

"Well, I guess we should have knocked," Chin said, a hint of amusement.

"I should've known I couldn't trust Danny Williams to keep his big mouth shut," Steve said, helping Chin up.

"That's your partner, man. He was worried about you, like we all were," Grover said.

"We don't know what's going on, but all indications are it isn't good," Chin said.

"No, it's not," the woman who had appeared from the other room agreed.

"Guys, this is Catherine. She's an old...friend," Steve said. Kono took note of the way he hesitated before he said the word. "Cath, this is Chin Ho Kelly, Kono Kalakaua, and Lou Grover," he introduced them all. Catherine smiled warmly.

"Nice to meet you all, though I wish it were under better circumstances," she said.

"We came to give you guys a hand," Kono said, smiling knowingly at Steve, who was looking between her and Catherine. Both women had registered each other as something other than a friend to Steve and were silently sizing the other up.

"You guys didn't have to do this," Steve said.

"Oh, come on now, you're ohana. So is Doris. Whatever this is, we got your back," Chin told him.

"All right. Come in and shut the door. I'll brief you," Steve agreed.

* * *

"You're the one he's not over," Catherine said. Kono turned to look at her. Chin had just left the room, and Kono hadn't even heard the woman come in.

"Yeah," she said, not even bothering to deny it.

"He's really hurting," Catherine said. Kono swallowed hard and continued preparing the gear.

"I know. But we work together. There's nothing I can do about it," she said, trying to figure out what Catherine's goal was with this conversation. She decided not to let her get there.

"When were you guys together?" she asked before Catherine could say anything else. She glanced up and realized she'd hit her mark. Catherine looked startled by the question.

"Before he came back to Hawaii. We met while we were in the Navy. We dated off and on, but it's hard to keep up a relationship when you're never in the same place. We broke it off officially a couple months before he moved back permanently. We've remained in touch; I've done him a couple of favors over the years," Catherine said.

"That's nice," Kono said.

They didn't get a chance to say anything else because they heard Steve say, "Alright, team, let's move!"

* * *

Of course, things went sideways. Kono watched, her stomach in knots, as Steve and Doris got captured. She sat, stressed, watching and listening on the comms as they escaped. Grover put a comforting hand on her arm. They were waiting by the tunnel when the four emerged. Doris smiled, seeing her waiting there.

"Kono," she said. Kono hugged her, glad to see her again. She had actually really enjoyed the older woman's company when she took her and Adam on the run. Kono caught Steve's look over her shoulder. He was looking at them, a wistful and sad look on his face. It made her heart do a funny flip. She ignored it, pulling away.

"Come on. We've got to move," she said.

When they parted ways at the airport, Kono tried to subtly glance at Steve and Catherine as they hugged. She wasn't sure it was as subtle as she'd have liked because she caught Chin giving her a pointed look afterwards. She ignored him.

"Let's go home," Grover said, patting Steve on the back as they watched the plane take off. Steve nodded, looking weary.

"Yeah," he agreed. He looked over, making eye contact with Kono for a second before he headed toward their own ride. She wanted nothing more than to hug him. He looked so broken. He had to let his mom go again. She hated that he had to keep letting her go.

She watched him carefully the rest of the trip, from the car ride, to the plane trip back. She got in her car back at Hickam, parked two cars down from Steve's truck. She watched sadly as he leaned over the steering wheel, his shoulders shaking as he cried. She put her car in reverse, knowing she couldn't be there for him. Her chance was over.


	24. 7x11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really not a huge fan of this chapter, but ah well. This also bleeds into 7x12 because so does the Mexico storyline. Also Agent Navarro is played by the guy who plays Jasper Sitwell in the MCU, and that just really makes me laugh because he's been literally thrown off a roof while being interrogated. I like to think that Steve McGarrett would like Steve Rogers.

**7x11 Ka'ili Aku**

Kono really felt like the whole "going back to the way things were" was really working. Of course, she was still head-over-heels in love with him, but other than that, things had resembled some form of normalcy. It had been a month, and she was really feeling confident in their progress as friends. Of course, it was nights like Chin's birthday that she felt the urge to just give in. He was wearing a black button up and gray slacks, and he looked _really good_. She kept glancing over at him, seeing him laughing during the festivities. Once, she caught his eye, and he winked at her. She smiled and looked away, trying not to let him see how much he still got under her skin. Then as she brought out the cake, she saw Chin running. Steve didn't hesitate and went after him. Kono was not far behind them, but by the time she made it outside, Steve was already in his truck. She got there just in time to watch him pull out of the parking lot, driving like an insane person. Danny came up beside her.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I have no clue," she told him.

* * *

It was only ten minutes later when Steve called Danny.

"Hey, man, you got the rest of the team. What's going on?" Danny asked, putting it on speaker for Kono, Grover, and Jerry to hear.

"Sara has been kidnapped. We're heading to Mexico to get her back. Meet us at HQ, so we can figure out what's going on. The DEA is going to call us once we're there," he said. He hadn't even finished talking when Kono was already heading away from the group.

"Okay, we'll be there in a couple of minutes," Danny told him.

Kono found one of her aunts.

"Auntie, Chin Ho and I have to leave. His niece Sara has been kidnapped. Can you handle the rest of the party?" she asked. The woman gave her a pointed look.

"Why are you still here? Go! I've got it!" she told her. Kono smiled, but it was short-lived when she remembered why she was leaving in the first place.

"Thanks, auntie!" she called over her shoulder, already headed to the parking lot. She made it to HQ before Danny, Grover, or Jerry. Danny gave her a very stressed look when he saw her again because he knew how fast she had driven to get here. She didn't even care. When she had first arrived, Chin had been a mess. Steve had been trying to talk sense into him, and she had never been more grateful for Steve's laser focus and strategic planning skills.

* * *

Kono sat strapped into the seat, Chin next to her and Steve across from her. Chin was sleeping restlessly. She couldn't fall asleep, so she chose to study Steve instead. He was asleep stretched out, his long legs taking up a ton of space. His head was leaned back, and his mouth was open just a little. His arms were crossed, and Kono wondered how he looked so commanding, even while asleep. As she was pondering this, she noticed Danny watching her watch Steve. He was sitting next to Steve, and he was giving her this very pointed look. She blushed a little, looking away. Danny looked around, saw that Grover was sleeping as well, and then unbuckled and sat down next to her.

"What's, uh, what's going on in that head of yours?" he asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Kono pursed her lips, trying to figure out what to tell him.

"I'm just thinking about everything. About Sara," she lied.

"Kono, I'm not a detective for nothing. I know you're still in love with him," Danny called her out. She worked hard to contain her reaction.

"It's just that…" she trailed off, not sure how to explain to him what she felt. "When I first realized that I had feelings for him, we were stealing $10 million to save Chin's life from a bomb Victor Hesse strapped around his neck. His loyalty and selflessness toward his ohana is one of the things I find most attractive about him. That and his abs." She couldn't resist the chance to make a joke. Danny grinned and shook his head. "But, now we're heading to Mexico to save Sara, and Steve followed Chin right out the door and was ready to get on a plane as soon as he heard," she explained. She looked away from Danny, eyes refocusing on Steve's sleeping form.

"All those feelings you've been trying to bury came rushing back," Danny said, knowing the exact way she felt at that moment. He had been through that more than once with Rachel.

"Yeah…" she said, letting out a sigh and looking back at Danny. "I'm in love with him still. But nothing's changed. We can't be together because it's too complicated. But I can't bear to lose him, so we're friends. But damn, do I wanna just shove him against a wall and-" Danny cut her off.

"Whoa! Okay, I got the idea!" he interrupted, throwing his hands up in the air. She laughed. If either of them had been watching, they would've seen Steve's mouth twitch upwards into a small smile too.

* * *

Agent Navarro had said not to visit Ramirez. So naturally, Steve wanted to visit Ramirez.

"Are you kidding me right now? You're just going to walk in unarmed?" Danny asked, squinting at his partner, trying to figure out if he had actually lost it this time.

"I'm unarmed, but Kono will be there. She'll have the rifle pointed at him. I mean, what's he gonna do, shoot me? Kono would have him and most of his men down before he can even finish his sentence," Steve told him.

"I got it, brah. We'll be fine," Kono chipped in, winking at Danny.

"You two are going to enjoy this danger thing, aren't you? God, I hate you adrenaline junkies," he said, shaking his head, resigned to the idea they had presented.

"Love you too, man," Steve replied, already getting ready to leave.

* * *

"Couldn't have asked for better back-up," he told her when he picked her back up again from her sniper position.

"Ha ha," she said dryly, remembering when she had told him that very same thing. Except that time, she really meant Five-0, SWAT, and half of the HPD.

"No, I'm serious, Kono," he said, his face becoming serious as he drove. "I literally couldn't ask for better back-up. I wouldn't have wanted any other person out there with that rifle. There's not a single sniper in the Navy or even the world that I would trust more," he told her. She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the compliment. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Thanks, boss," she said. She was pretty sure he flinched when she called him boss, but she knew it was for the best. He needed the reminder, and honestly, so did she.

* * *

And then Chin turned himself over to the cartel. She watched as Steve picked up Chin's badge, and everything in her wanted to fight, to hurt someone to get her cousin back. Instead she hugged Sara, wishing she could protect her from all of this.

* * *

Steve was torturing a cartel member for information. Kono paced outside the door. She had asked to do it herself, but he had reassured her that he could effectively handle it alone. He was trained in interrogation techniques that wouldn't be legal had they been in the state of Hawaii. She finally gave in and resorted to pacing instead.

They got a location from the guy. She met Steve's eyes as he came out of the room, and she could see a steely resolve in his now dark and cloudy blue eyes that would have given her chills had she been the bad guys they were after.

* * *

They got Chin back. It was quick and easy. They were in and out in fifteen minutes. As they were cleaning up to head back to Hawaii, Kono took a minute outside, standing in the night air, relieved for the first time since Chin's party.

"Hey," she heard him say, realizing she hadn't even heard him approach. She opened her eyes, seeing him leaning on the SUV in front of her.

"Hey," she said. Steve looked at her fondly, and she silently urged him to stop doing that.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I am now," she told him, nodding. He nodded too.

"Good," he said. She wondered where this was going, because right now it was a weird conversation.

"So, I'm gonna-" she started, trying to figure out an excuse to leave as she started to turn toward the house. He had closed the space between them in a heartbeat.

"Wait," he said, grabbing her hand with both of his. She willed her heart to stop doing its gymnastics routine in her chest. "I just wanted you to know that I would have done anything to protect him and Sara," he told her. She nodded.

"I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling like she had come home all of the sudden. It felt so right, so natural. She wished it didn't have to end, so that reality wouldn't set back in.

It was Danny's approaching voice that pulled them apart, leaving both of them longing for more. Kono bit her lip, and she saw Steve notice it. She swallowed hard and turned away to at least attempt to listen to Danny's rant. She was Steve's friend, and that's all they could be. That didn't stop Kono from watching him sleep on the flight back, wishing that wasn't all they could be and wondering if she'd ever fall out of love with him.


	25. 7x13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end, people! I'm thinking I have 5-7 chapters still to go. At least three more are written. Kono will still leave at the end of season 7, but don't be dismayed, McKono is still endgame here. Sorry for how short this is.

**7x13 Ua ho'i ka 'opua i Awalua**

Kono was going to kill him. She sat in the front seat of Steve's truck as they drove around with Hirsch giving them directions. So far, they'd been driving for 25 minutes. Hirsch had been vague and unhelpful, as usual.

"Hey, I heard you two were dating? Is that still happening, or can I make my move now?" Hirsch asked. Kono was absolutely going to kill him.

"Please, stop talking," Steve said. They avoided looking at each other.

"I was just trying to figure out what Officer Kalakaua's relationship status was, but if she's single then…" Hirsch trailed off, clearly trying to insinuate something.

"Hirsch, I will still haul your ass to prison," Kono threatened.

"Okay, yup, shutting up now," Hirsch said, leaning back. Kono didn't dare look at Steve. She didn't know if either one of them could take it.

* * *

"Dance with me," Steve said. Kono looked at him in stunned confusion. They were at Max's going-away party, and Flippa was playing a very upbeat tune.

"Excuse me?" she asked. Danny was grinning, looking very amused.

"Dance with me?" Steve asked this time, standing and extending a hand. It appeared she didn't have much of a choice. She set her glass on the table and made the mistake of looking at Danny, who was now giving her a pointed look. She ignored him and followed Steve to an open area where Grace was dancing with Kamekona. Steve spun her around, and she laughed.

As they used some ridiculous dance moves, she couldn't stop laughing, and he was having a great time dancing and watching her laugh. Danny and Noelani joined them, and then everyone was laughing because Danny had clearly never learned to dance. Lou joined them to show off his cool dance moves, and they were all harassing him as they spun and shook to the music. The man had dance moves that would've been cool in the '70s sure but not now. Flippa ended one song and picked up another tune that was slow and sweet. Kono suddenly realized what was going on and looked around, panicked. She caught Danny's eye, and he winked at her. This was a set-up. She hated herself for falling for it. She turned back to look at Steve when he took her in his arms and started swaying. She made the mistake of looking into his eyes, and her breath caught in her throat at the intense look he was giving her. The dark blue shirt he was wearing only made his eyes more blue. He leaned in, resting his forehead on hers.

"Relax," he said quietly. And all at once, she did. When she had panicked, her muscles had all tensed up. But now? She just enjoyed being in his arms, smelling his unique blend of gunpowder and aftershave. She could hear her ohana around her, talking and laughing. This was home. She hated that she had to admit to herself that being in Steve's arms was the most at peace she'd been in a long time.


	26. 7x19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey I just need you guys to know that we're nearing the length of a full-sized novel. What started out as a note eventually became the last chapter of this, and it's currently about 7,000 words shy of being the same length as The Notebook. It's sitting at 123 pages in a Google Doc.

**7x19 Puka 'ana**

"You invited her to _your house_?" Danny sounded incredulous and was very loud, even over the phone.

"For coffee, Danny. I just wanna check up on her and on Adam," Steve defended himself. He couldn't almost see Danny pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You an idiot, Steven," he said.

"Thanks, man," Steve said dryly, standing in his living room and wondering if he should clean before she got there.

"I know what you're doing. Don't think I don't. And if I see it, then she almost certainly does too," Danny warned him.

"I'm not doing anything, Danny," Steve said. He remembered how messy Kono's house was and figured he probably didn't need to clean anything. She'd barely notice, not that his house actually needed to be cleaned.

"You bribed Flippa into playing a slow song so that you could dance with her," Danny reminded him.

"So, about that," Steve said. He knew he should've never told his partner that. "I may have overheard your conversation with her on the plane to Mexico," he confessed. There was a pause, and Steve wondered for a second if Danny had dropped his phone.

"You are so stupid. I can't believe you. So you do think you're going to win her back! And you think that because you heard her confess that she still loves you. Did you miss the part where she said you couldn't be together?" Danny asked finally. Steve had never heard him talk so fast.

"I didn't miss it. I just figured that if I can get her to realize that she loves me more than what's holding her back, we can be together," Steve explained. It was very rational really.

"I think you're severely underestimating how strong Kono's will is," Danny informed him.

"Guess we're about to find out because she's here. Bye, Danny," Steve said. He had heard a knock on his front door.

"Steven, don't do anything stupid! I-" Danny started, but Steve hung up on him. He opened the door to find Kono standing there, looking very nervous. He smiled and opened the door wider.

"Hey, come on in," he said, turning toward the kitchen. He heard her close the door behind her. He got himself a cup of coffee and one for her too. "Make yourself at home," he called to her from the kitchen. She moved to the table.

"So I got a call from the director of the Phoenix Foundation. She told me that you guys did a hell of a job," Steve told her, handing her a cup of coffee, just the way she liked it. She accepted it with a genuine smile.

"Ah, well, it was a team effort," Kono told him.

"Oh, yeah?" Steve asked. Kono was grinning, and he wondered where this was going. He had talked to the director earlier, before Danny had called. She had told him that there were a few of her people at the site of the earthquake too, including an old friend of his.

"Mmm-hmm," Kono said, "You know your friend Jack - he's a lot like you, huh?" She had been very amused by the ex-Delta Force operator. He reminded her a lot of Steve.

"I don't know if that's a compliment," Steve told her, and she laughed.

"I'll just leave it at that," Kono told him, unwilling to tell him what Jack had actually told her to tell Steve, which was that he was a "wimpy little water baby."

"Okay," Steve accepted, sure he was missing something. He'd have to ask Jack if he had a chance.

"So I know you didn't invite me over to pat me on the back," she said, "So what's up?" She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know. She had been half-convinced this was a trap so that he could get her into a private place to confess his feelings and kiss her and make her feel all sorts of things she had been pushing down.

"Oh, I just wanted to check on you. And see how Adam's doing," he said. He was testing the waters, of that she was sure. He wanted to know how much contact she'd had with Adam since he got out of prison.

"Oh, yeah, he's good. We get together once a week or so to hang out. He's a great friend," she said. That last part may have been a lie, because she was pretty sure that advice he'd given her about being friends with Steve had been terrible, terrible advice. He had absolutely been wrong when he told her it was possible to go back to the way things were. Things had gone back to the way they were right before they tried to date, when they were always doing things like jumping in front of bullets for the other person or giving them longing looks when they thought the other person wasn't looking.

"That's good," Steve said. He sipped his coffee, nonchalantly. She was watching him, trying to figure out his goal here. "Well, if he needs anything, just let me know," he told her. She nodded.

"Yeah, thanks," she said. She still wasn't sure why she was in his house. This could've easily been a phone conversation. His doorbell rang, interrupting her train of thought. She came to the doorway of the kitchen, watching as Sara sold Steve 13 boxes of cookies. She smiled, watching the way he interacted with the little girl. She wouldn't tell anyone she thought about this, but she longed to see the way Steve would be with his own kids. He was such a great uncle to Joannie, Grace and Charlie, and now Sara.

Her phone rang before her thoughts about having kids with Steve got too far. She was grateful for the distraction.

She was less grateful for the nature of the distraction. A kidnapped girl? Kono was already angry.

* * *

"I don't get it," Steve said, as they drove, "It doesn't make sense to me. Moani seems like a bright kid from a stable home.

"Yeah, yeah. But you know, 15, it's a rough age for a girl. I mean, you're awkward and insecure. You don't think you're smart enough, pretty enough or popular enough. And then, suddenly someone pays some attention to you. Sends you a nice message or some compliments. Suddenly you feel like somebody gets you. Like they care. Whoever this Jonah guy was, obviously understood that and used it to his advantage," Kono explained. Steve looked over at her, suddenly wondering what she was like as a teenager. She was already a pro-surfer, so he couldn't imagine she looked much different than she did now. He knew that she knew now that she had no need for insecurities. She was gorgeous. He mentally shook his head to bring his attention back to the task at hand.

* * *

Steve had seen Kono with kids dozens of times. But it got to him every single time. As he watched her talk to the girl soothingly, he wondered again what Kono would be like as a mother. She was so good with kids, so kind and gentle. He swallowed hard, pushing the thought away. Now was not the time.

* * *

He got out of his truck and was walking past Kono's car when he realized she was still in it. He knocked on the hood, but when she didn't budge, he opened the passenger door. She didn't look good; she was very focused on staring straight ahead, clenching her jaw. He recognized the signs of someone trying very hard to stay in control.

"Hey," he said, leaning in.

"Hey," she replied brusquely. Her tone made him uncomfortable. This was not the Kono he knew. Something was going on.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, but he knew she was lying. He got into the car and closed the door. He looked her up and down, taking note of the bandaged hand. He sat and waited for her to speak.

"I talked to Kelsey," she said, "Think we might have a lead. She told me about one of her regulars. She's, uh she doesn't know his real name, but he's a high school teacher, coaches swim."

"You reach out to HPD?" he asked. He'd deal with the business first, but he still knew something else was going on.

"They're looking into all the high school swim coaches on the island; can't be more than a few dozen. They'll put together a photo array for Kelsey to look at. Then we'll track down the john and flip him for the pimp," she told him.

He picked up her hand and looked at it. He saw her flinch when he first touched it. He held her hand in his for a moment longer than necessary.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"I know it's not a good thing for a cop to get angry, to get emotional. But I can't help it," she said. There were unshed tears in her eyes, and he could see them from where he sat. This new version of Kono was the dangerous version, not one who loved the adrenaline rush of violence, but a darker version that used it to punish those who hurt girls. He wondered what glass she'd broken to get the cuts on her hand.

"It's fine to get angry," he assured her. God knows he'd been angry on this job more times than he could count. "You wanna sit this one out?" he asked, already knowing her answer.

"No," she said, looking at him sharply.

"Good," he said, nodding and maintaining eye contact. He wanted nothing more than to hurt every single sex trafficker in this world with his bare hands because of the way it made Kono feel.

* * *

Steve couldn't remember a single time where he had ever seen her this angry. When she punched the john, Cardiff in the gut, he could almost hear Danny's nagging voice in his head, insisting he stop her. But he didn't. She needed backup, not her boss. And she was very clearly in control. The punch had been enough to bring him down and knock his breath out, but he was fine. It was a calculated hit that she had made. As she yelled in Cardiff's face, he briefly pitied the man. He had never seen her like this before. It was terrifying, and if he was completely honest, kind of hot. This righteous anger that she carried inside of her burned like a fire. When she looked Steve in the eye, he could see the fury in her eyes that she was containing. Later, when she interrogated Tori, he let her take the lead. She did well, getting information out of her. He really couldn't have done it better himself. He made a note to not tell Danny how much she had learned from him over the years.

* * *

When he walked up on her hitting Emilio, he took note of her service weapon tossed on the ground, the magazine next to it. He had let her have Emilio, knowing she needed to do this on her own. She stood up as he approached. As she walked past him, he noted the controlled fury was still in her eyes, but this time it had an edge to it, that made him wonder how much self-control it had taken to not kill him.

"He had a knife," she told him as she passed. He watched her go, wishing he had been there to see what had just happened. When she kicked somebody's ass it was usually beautiful and graceful.

* * *

He showed up at her house that night. When she opened the door, he could see the sweat on her face. Her right hand had been wrapped again after the stitches she had gotten at the hospital. He had got the report earlier from Duke. She had broken a guy's car window and tossed his car keys away because he honked at her when she didn't move at a green light. The guy had filed a police report and had taken note of the badge on her hip and her license plate number. Fortunately, he had agreed to let the police handle discipline internally. Steve had thanked Duke and promptly put the file in his desk to ignore. He had no plans to discipline her. She had been through enough today.

She let him into her house silently and went back to the punching bag. He closed the door behind him. She was using her left hand since her right had been injured, but he could still see the muscles in her arms straining. He bit his bottom lip, watching her for a second before he went to hold the bag for her. They didn't talk as he stood there, letting her hit the bag again and again. He would never admit that she nearly knocked him down a couple times with how hard she hit the bag. After a while, her hits got weaker and weaker, and he realized there were tears streaming down her face. He let go of the bag and after a moment's hesitation, wrapped her in his arms. She let him, her hot tears and sweat making his t-shirt wet quickly. He didn't mind. He guided her to the couch and let her cry on him, knowing she needed to let everything out. He wanted to be here for her, whether he was just her boss, a friend, or something more. He _needed_ to be here for her.

* * *

When Chin showed up at Kono's house in the morning to pick her up for work, he took note of Steve's truck in the driveway. He quietly let himself in with his key. The door opened to reveal them asleep on the couch. Steve had his arm around her, his head back, and his mouth open. She was curled into his side, under his arm, with her hand resting on his chest. Chin just smiled knowingly and closed the door quietly behind him. Steve would take care of her. That had always been Chin's job, but he was more than willing to pass that role over to one man only, the man who would always protect her and always love her - Steve McGarrett.


	27. 7x25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say that I love that this is what Kono's passionate about? Sex trafficking is truly a horrific industry that profits immensely in the U.S. and other countries throughout the world. I have a friend that works with the DOJ, shutting down sex trafficking, and Kono's passion makes me think of her.

**7x25 Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono**

Steve was completely on board with his own insane idea because he needed to end this. Not just for those poor girls, not just to catch the guys who were doing this, not even because it was his job. He needed to end this for Kono. She had been restless since they'd locked up Emilio without him telling them anything. She needed closure, and Steve was prepared to do whatever it took to give it to her.

* * *

"Are you doing this for her?" Danny asked, unable to take the silence in the car.

"Huh?" Steve asked. He had been thoroughly immersed in mentally preparing for the op and had not at all been paying attention.

"Are you doing this for Kono? Because you're still in love with her?" Danny asked.

"That's not- I'm not…" Steve spluttered. That had to be the worst lie he had ever told in his life. Seriously, the Navy would have kicked him out for that one.

"Steve, you don't have to prove yourself for her. She's already head-over-heels for you," Danny informed him.

"I'm not proving myself, Danny. There's a job that needs to be done. Some little girls need to be saved. I'm just doing my job," Steve insisted. Danny just watched him, studying him intently. Steve ignored him and focused on driving.

* * *

"It's a chef's hat with your name on it," Steve told Danny over the phone.

"Why are you telling me this?" Danny asked, suddenly worried.

"Well you know, I just thought you could use it for Steve's," he replied, just to see what Danny would say.

"All right, look, my restaurant under no circumstances is gonna be called Steve's. And you're gonna know that, 'cause you're gonna be there, 'cause you're not gonna die today, okay? Just don't — you're not gonna No-no dying today, okay?" Danny's usually cool exterior had faded into a panicked, desperate tone.

"You — I thought you said-" Steve started but was cut off.

"I know what I said, and I said it because I'm trying to talk you out of it. Obviously, it's not gonna work, okay?" Danny wasn't ready to say good-bye.

"If something goes wrong, tell her… please," Steve said. He knew Danny would understand.

"You need to tell her yourself, okay? Tonight. I'm tired of you two. Just tell her to get over herself. You need to be together," Danny insisted.

"Okay. I'll do it," Steve agreed. That's when Jerry interrupted to let them know the truck was in the tunnel. All other thoughts faded as his focus went solely to saving the girls.

* * *

As soon as the girls were all safe, and Deon had been confirmed as dead, Steve hugged Kono. He didn't care who was watching or what they were thinking. To his surprise, she didn't resist. She relaxed against him.

"Thank you," she whispered quietly. He smiled softly.

"We should talk later," he told her. She pulled away and looked into his eyes and nodded. He nodded too before letting her go to coordinate clean-up. Kono watched him go, feeling entirely unsatisfied, though she couldn't say why. Deon had been taken care of. The rest of the girls were safe. But she didn't feel better. She was still burning up with rage.

* * *

"Well, I reach out to law enforcement in each of these cities. I pass on whatever Intel we have, and we hope that they follow-up and shut down these hubs," Steve said as they all stood around, looking at the map of the United States of the sex trafficking hubs.

"Is that even going to make a dent?" Kono asked, the anger in her finally exploding into passion as she spoke. "I mean, it's not like these girls are kept in one place. In every single one of those cities, there's at least a dozen houses like the ones we raided this morning. Those girls are moved around constantly. Do any one of those departments have the resources or the will to deal with this?" she asked. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but especially Steve's. He was studying her carefully.

"Kono, look, I mean, we all agree there's more to do. There's a lot more to do. But today, ten more girls went back to their parents. Look, we did the best that we could do," he told her. She nodded, her eyes still glued to the screen, her heart still breaking for the girls that were out there that needed help, and the anger still burning in her against the people who put them into these situations. She needed to do something. Something else. Something more. This wasn't over for her.

* * *

"Hey, Chin, where's Kono?" Steve asked. He had noticed her absence earlier, but it was growing more and more prominent, the longer the party went on.

"I don't know. I've left her a couple of messages, but her phone is off, it's going straight to voicemail. Maybe she got caught up doing something else?" Chin suggested. He didn't sound sure or confident at all. Steve nodded and thanked him before looking around again. He had meant what he told Danny right before he jumped onto that moving truck. Tonight, he needed to tell Kono that he was in love with her, and he didn't care what she thought about other people, he had to be with her. He couldn't stand it any more. But she wasn't here.

Kono checked her phone as she landed in Carson City. There were several concerned voicemails from Chin. There was one from Steve. She listened to it last.

_Kono, I need to talk to you. Call me back._

She shot a quick text to her cousin telling him not to worry and that she'd call him in a little while. Then she found a quiet corner of the airport.

"McGarrett." He picked up the phone on the second ring.

"Steve, it's Kono," she said.

"Kono, thank God. We were worried about you. Where are you? Can we meet somewhere to talk?" he asked. She took a second to steady her anxious breathing before she spoke.

"No, we can't. Steve, I'm in Carson City. I can't let this go. I need to help. I need to do something. My resignation letter is on your desk," she said. He was silent for a long time — too long.

"No. I won't accept it. Take a leave of absence for now," he said.

"Okay," she agreed. "I'm sorry, Steve. I'm sorry that I left without telling anyone. I need to do this. I need to help. I can't sit in Hawaii while this is happening across the country," she said.

"I get it, Kono," he said quietly. "But I'm still begging you, please, just get on the plane and come home. Just come home," he said. His voice cracked a little toward the end, giving away how hard he was fighting back tears.

"I can't do that, and you know it. If you do love me, and I believe you do, then I need you to let me go. Let me do this. And don't ask me to come back," she said. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. She couldn't remember when she had started crying. Suddenly, there were so many tears.

"I _do_ love you. Good-bye, Kono. Good luck," he said. Her heart broke at his words. It was enough that she looked up at the departure flights, wondering how fast she could get back there. Then she shook her head, reminding herself of why she'd come.

"Bye, Steve," she whispered. But he was already gone. She stood there in the airport alone, wondering if she'd just made the right decision. She couldn't remember how long she'd stood there after that, but she couldn't stop the tears that insisted on falling. She let them come, knowing that there would be no time to cry later. She had work to do.


	28. 8x02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Two chapters at once. More coming this week. Four more to go. A couple are going to be on the shorter side, but at least you'll get some satisfaction from seeing them not completely forget about each other like the show depicts. Also, I added a wee bit to Kono's whole storyline, and I'm making stuff up, and I really have no idea how the FBI/FBI task forces work, so forgive me.

**8x02 Na La 'Ilio**

"Or was there a reason you called me over here? 'Cause I have a lot of things to do," Danny asked.

"Thank you," Steve said, "Kono called me this morning. Her case has gone federal. The FBI wants her to stick around, see it through to the end."

"So, what does that mean? When is she coming back?" Danny asked. Steve took a second before answering.

"Not any time soon. Possibly not ever," he said. He turned around and looked into Danny's eyes, knowing his partner was going to see right through him.

"You don't want her to leave," Danny stated. Steve shook his head. "You're still in love with her," he said. Steve didn't contradict him. "Oh, buddy," Danny said, looking at his friend sadly. Steve was heartbroken, and he was trying his hardest not to show it.

"Eddie, chow time, buddy," Steve said, looking away.

* * *

_Earlier that day…_

"Kono," Steve said, answering the phone with a smile on his face. He hadn't heard from her in a while, since she'd told him to let her go.

"Hey Steve," she said. There was a serious tone in her voice that made his smile fall.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not coming home," she said. There was a long pause. "The FBI is taking over the case, but they want to start a task force focused specifically on this case and possibly others when this one is over. They want me to run it," she said. He didn't know what to say, and even if he did, he wasn't sure he could say anything. There was a growing lump in his throat that he couldn't explain. He could hear the apology in her voice. He squeezed his eyes closed, blinking back the unexpected tears. He was glad he was alone, suddenly. "Steve?" she asked, her voice quiet and gentle.

"That's great, Kono," he said, fighting every instinct in his body that was telling him to demand she come back to him.

"Yeah," she said. The silence that hung between them conveyed the words they couldn't say out loud.

"Keep in touch then. Let us know when you come home to visit. And let us know if we can help you with anything. You know I'd do anything for you," he told her. He'd really meant to say that Five-0 would do anything for her, but somehow, it didn't come out like that.

"I know. Thanks, Steve," she said, "Talk to you soon."

"Yeah, of course," he said, hanging up. In the silence of his truck, he set the phone down and felt a sob wrack his body.

"I love you," he whispered.

Nearly 2,600 miles away, Kono hung up too. She gritted her teeth together, fighting the unexpected tears. She would always love Steve McGarrett. But she had work to do, and she had always put her career over him. Today could be no different.


	29. 9x10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, name is Katie, and I'm obsessed with Eddie. It's fine. I just rly love dogs. Anyway, yah, here's some straight fluff for y'all. This made me cry a little, not gonna lie.

**9x10 Pio ke kukui, po'ele ka hale (right before 9x11)**

"Dad?" she answered the call. She hadn't talked to her father in a couple of weeks. She felt horrible, but she had been so busy with work. She was standing in her hotel room in Omaha after a long day. It was only 6 o'clock in Hawaii, but it was 11 PM where she was.

"Kono, it's your mother," her Dad said. His voice was broken up. He had obviously been crying.

"What's wrong, Dad?" she asked, almost afraid to ask.

"She passed away, koʻu kaikamahine," he said. The tears sprang to her eyes unbidden. They had always known this would come one day. "She was sleeping, and she didn't wake up this afternoon," he told her.

"I'll be on the first flight that I can," she assured him. "Aloha au ia 'oe, dad."

"I love you too," he said. She hung up and immediately collapsed onto the bed, unable to support herself any more. She let herself mourn before she picked up the laptop to find a flight home.

* * *

She sat on the plane at LAX. She tried not to be nervous, not to imagine what things might happen when she got home.

"Kono?" a familiar voice asked. She looked up to see the grinning face of Danny Williams. Grace stood next to him, also smiling, the spitting image of her father.

"Danny! Grace!" she said, excited to see them after more than a year away from Hawaii. She stood up and awkwardly hugged them in the small plane. Danny put their stuff in the overhead bin as she hugged Grace.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, as Danny sat down next to her. Danny gave her a very solemn look.

"We're touring colleges," he said. Grace was grinning again. Kono could hardly believe the girl was old enough to go to college.

"Wow. That's great. Did you see any you like?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about going to Northwestern in Chicago," Grace informed her. Danny shook his head and leaned in.

"That's where Will Grover's going," he whispered. Grace rolled her eyes.

"Danno, I can hear you," she said.

"I know, monkey," he said, raising his eyebrows at her. Grace just pulled out her earbuds. "You're going home?" Danny asked Kono, once Grace was occupied by her cell phone. Kono's heart sunk, remembering why.

"It's my mom. She passed away," she said. Danny put his hand over hers, a familiar presence that she had missed.

"Oh, babe. I'm so sorry," he told her. She just smiled sadly.

* * *

When they landed, Danny and Kono were equally surprised to see Grover waiting for them. Grace was thrilled that Will was with him. The two immediately separated from the adults, whispering in excitement to each other.

"Kono," Grover smiled warmly, wrapping her in a hug. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"My mother passed away. I'm home for a couple days for the funeral," she explained. It was becoming easier to say, she noticed. She didn't even start crying this time.

"I'm sorry. That's hard. But I am glad you're both here. We think McGarrett's in trouble," he said. Danny threw his hands up.

"Of course he is. I go away for a couple of weeks, and the man's in trouble," he exclaimed.

"Greer leaked the names of him and his SEAL team. Someone was going after them. McGarrett and Joe White were in Montana, luring the assassins out to ambush them. But something went wrong. We've had radio silence from Steve for the past week. He called us to say that Joe White was dead, and he needed some time. But we think something else is going on. Something bigger than just Steve mourning," Grover added.

"Of course it is. Steve doesn't mourn like the rest of us. If Joe's really gone, then Steve's out for revenge," Danny told him.

"I wish I would've known. I was just passing through Montana three days ago. We were chasing one of the transporters that ran," Kono said.

"I'm going," Danny decided. No one argued with him.

* * *

Kono mourned her mother. She went to her funeral. She spent time with Chin and her family. It was a great time for everyone. But she was lonely in her hotel room. She had too many cousins staying in her parents' house. She couldn't bring herself to be there right now. She would fly to San Antonio in the morning to pick up where she'd left off. It was 7 o'clock at night, and she just wished she knew what home was any more. She made up her mind, all at once, and she was already on her way before she could consider whether it was a smart idea.

* * *

Really, she should've known better than to walk into Steve's house. She was surprised by the man that attacked her when she walked in. The gun he had put into her back didn't stop her though. She fought back. She had him pinned to the ground in less than a minute.

"Who are you, and why are you breaking into my house?" the man asked. Kono sat on top of him, confused. She had never seen the guy before.

"Your house? This is Steve McGarrett's house," she said. She raised a hand up to knock him out.

"Whoa! Wait! Yeah, Steve and I live here together. He's my boss and my friend. Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Kono Kalakaua. Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Junior Reigns," he said. She let the kid up. Danny had mentioned they had brought two new kids on to the team. He had failed to mention that one of them lived with Steve.

"Kono, huh? You used to work at Five-0," he said. He had heard of her then.

"Yeah, I did. I'm back for a couple of days," she said. They were standing in the living room, eyeing each other suspiciously still. Junior was gingerly feeling his face where she had landed an elbow.

"Steve's not here," Junior told her. She nodded.

"I know. I just needed somewhere to go that felt familiar. Like home. This was the only place I could think of," she said. He nodded.

"I know the feeling," he said. "Come on. I'll get you a beer," he told her. She turned around to find a dog looking at her with a suspicious look. She wasn't aware dogs could even look suspicious. Junior saw her looking at the dog in surprise.

"That's Eddie, McGarrett's dog," Junior told her. Steve had gotten a dog. She could've sworn he was a cat person.

"Hi, Eddie," she said, kneeling down with her hands outstretched palms up. The dog came to her instantly, sensing that she was a friend. He put his face into her hand, and when she scratched his head, his tail began to wag. He nearly knocked her over when he moved forward, getting a good lick in on her face before she pushed him away. Junior came out of the kitchen and laughed.

"He likes you," he said. Kono stood up. Eddie followed her as she took the beer from Junior, and they went into the backyard. It was exactly as she remembered it. The weather-worn chairs were sitting in the same spot they had been last time she was here. She smiled, remembering that first night she and Steve had kissed. She hadn't realized she had stopped moving until Junior said her name.

"Kono?" he asked. She snapped out of her reverie, looking at him in surprise.

"Yeah, sorry. Good memories," she said. And they were good memories, despite the fact that things between her and Steve had been so complicated. She hadn't expected the sudden swell of love that overtook her as she sat in the chair next to Junior.

"You were the one that broke his heart," Junior said quietly. Kono looked over at him, surprised.

"He told you about me?" she asked. Junior was studying her.

"No, but I can tell. I was a SEAL too. I was trained to read people. Steve had pretty obviously had his heart broken. He didn't ever talk about it, but it was the little things that gave it away. Once, Grover mentioned your name at work, and Steve looked like someone had just punched him," Junior explained. Kono could see why Steve liked the kid. He was a lot like Steve.

"Yeah. He was my boss. Things were complicated. We tried the secret dating. Didn't work out. We still loved each other, when I left. But we both knew that we couldn't be together," she said. She looked out at the ocean, her heart yearning for the days when they were happy. Eddie rested his face in her lap, as if sensing her sadness. She smiled down at the dog sadly.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" Junior asked.

"Depends. What's the favor?" she asked. Junior looked at her sheepishly.

"Don't tell anyone you took me down. I can't believe someone got the drop on me like that even when I had a gun pointed at them," he said. Kono laughed.

"Trust me, no one that knows me would be surprised. But yeah, I'll keep your secret," she agreed. Junior nodded.

"Thanks," he said. Kono smiled again, feeling at home for the first time in a long time. Even with Steve not here, she knew she belonged here. Every fiber in her being was screaming at her to stay, to be here when Steve got home. But the next morning, she went to the airport, and she got on a plane. She flew away, knowing it was probably the wrong decision.

* * *

**koʻu kaikamahine** \- my daughter

**Aloha au ia 'oe** \- I love you

Disclaimer: these were found through Google, so they definitely could be wrong. I'm from Missouri, okay?


	30. 10x07

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I watched this episode the first time, I suddenly had this overwhelming thought that it should have been Kono when he opened that door. No offense to Danny or anything. So here we are.
> 
> Also, side note, I'm a big fan of Alex directing episodes because he gave himself the beard… and it's nice.

**10x07 Ka 'i'o**

He heard a knock on the door. He got up with a heavy sigh and opened it. She stood there, watching him and waiting. He stood there and stared for a minute, not sure what to do or say.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," he said back, knowing that that was inadequate. He let her inside, and she sat on the couch. She refused the beer he tried to offer her.

"I've got to drive back," she said as explanation.

"Kono, what are you doing here?" Steve asked, sitting down in the chair he had been in for the past three hours.

"I've been at Quantico for the past week or so planning my team's next move. I was at base when a friend reached out to me and said she had heard from a friend that you had gone to Mexico. She knew I knew you, and she wanted to let me know. When I heard what happened in Mexico with your mother, it took me all of 30 seconds to locate you and after that, I got in my car," she explained. He didn't know what to say, just stared out the window again.

"Steve, look at me," she said gently. He looked over at her. Her warm brown eyes were kind and sympathetic. "My boss told me 6 years ago when I was really in a tough place that you have to let yourself feel it. It'll be worse if you don't," she said. He felt the tears spring to his eyes, both at the memory of them talking in that hallway while they waited for Chin and at the truth of her words.

"Smart guy," he commented before opening up, "Danny called and said she was trying to get me and Mary and Joannie set up financially. She was trying to do something good. I just wish she knew that all she had to do was get on an airplane and come home, you know?" he said, looking at her. Kono tried to control her breathing, remembering when Steve said that to her too, not too long ago. She wondered if he remembered that phone call, where he had begged her to come back.

"Yeah," she said quietly, almost quiet enough that he couldn't hear her. He was still holding eye contact as he continued, the tears slipping silently down his cheeks and into his dark beard.

"From the minute that woman walked out of my life, the only thing I've wanted is to have her back in it," he told her. "All I know is that none of this is on our terms," he continued.

"None of what?" she asked.

"Life. We never really get to choose how it's gonna look. Only what we do with the information when we get it. This whole Five-O thing started with me burying my father. Then Joe White last year. Now my mother," he paused, overwhelmed for a moment from talking about it. "So I don't know how I feel, but I do know that we don't get life on our terms, Kono. It's life on life's terms or not at all." He closed his eyes, the tears still coming. She stood up and moved to the arm of his chair and wrapped her arms around his head. He held on to her, his face buried in her arm, crying like he hadn't cried since he was a kid and he thought his mom had died the first time. She may have changed, had done horrible things, had abandoned him time and again, but she was still his mother. And there was nothing quite like losing your mother, which Kono knew all too well. She held him for a long time. Finally, he sat up, looking exhausted.

"I'm gonna get ready for bed now," he said, his voice hoarse. He stood up and looked down at her. She saw the pleading look in his blue eyes, those beautiful eyes that had made her weak in the knees all too often. He needed her.

"I'm not going anywhere," she told him, sure that she was making the right choice. They had been here before, her comforting him in his bed. She yearned to let this be more than just two people who used to be in love bringing comfort, but she knew that that was all it could be. Tomorrow, she'd wake up and drive back to Quantico. He'd catch a flight back to Honolulu. She'd go back to shutting down sex trafficking all over the country, and he'd go back to his ohana at Five-0.

It only took him a couple minutes to get ready for bed. She took off her boots and her jacket, leaving only the jeans and tank top. He climbed into bed, and she climbed in next to him. They lay there on their backs, not touching each other in the dark for a long time. She heard a long and pained sigh escape him. She intertwined their fingers and leaned her head on his shoulder. He relaxed at her touch and soon after, they were asleep. As she drifted off, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she could have sworn she heard him whisper, "I've missed you."

When he woke up in the morning, she was gone. It was still early, even for him. A note was sitting on the table, next to his recognition letter. Her scrawling handwriting brought him back to his kitchen long ago, when she'd left a note promising to talk later. This note just said, _I'm always a phone call away. Always. I've missed you too. -K_

He folded the note sadly. It was time to go back to Hawaii and back to reality where not only was his mother dead, but the woman he still loved had slipped through his fingers again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points if you recognize the Delena scene I took inspiration from. Two more chapters, folks.


	31. 10x21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter. The end is near guys. I can't believe it's almost over. I may post the last chapter tonight because I'm going out of town tomorrow.

**10x21 A 'ohe ia e loa'a aku, he ulua kapapa no ka moana**

"This is how I thought it'd end for us. Couple of old guys sitting on a beach watching sunsets," Steve said, taking in the view and the moment.

"I mean, that sounds great to me. We can still do that," Danny told him.

"I don't know anymore, Danny. I don't know. I've been trying to distract myself with a bunch of things, you know. Like I did a bunch of dating, which was nice, but it didn't help. I really thought that restaurant would help balance things out, but when it closed, I started thinking," Steve admitted.

"Well, personally, I think that's your problem. You think too much," Danny told him.

"Now who's deflecting?" Steve asked, amused with his partner.

"So I don't understand. You think you're capable of being done?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. Maybe. Look, all i know is that 10 years ago I hit the ground running. Hard. And I've been running ever since, and I feel like maybe I need a little time away to get some perspective, you know?" Steve explained.

"Yeah, I do. So when?" Danny asked. Steve nodded a little.

"Soon," he said.

"Can I ask a prying question?" Danny asked.

"You're going to anyway, so yeah," Steve said. Danny snorted to himself. He was right about that.

"Does this have anything to do with a beautiful Hawaiian woman who's living on the mainland that you're still in love with?" Danny asked. Steve nodded slightly, as he looked out at the ocean. He took a moment before he answered.

"She's the one that got away, Danny. I don't think I'll ever be over her. My life will never be complete without her. So, maybe she does play a part in this. But it's definitely not just about her, no," Steve said.

"Okay, I just wondered. I mean, after your mom, you know… She was there for you, and I think seeing her brought back things you thought you had buried. I was just curious about how much she affected this decision," Danny said. Steve didn't reply. He felt a lump in his throat as he thought about her in his arms months ago in D.C. She had been exactly what he needed. When she was there, he felt whole, like he could get through anything. But when she was gone in the morning, he felt alone again, like things might never be okay. And sure, life had gone back to normal. But nothing ever felt right after that. He hadn't even been able to explain how he felt when Junior told him she'd been there, at his house last year when her mom passed away. She'd slept in his bed that night. Steve had been off in Montana, tracking down Joe's killer. And she'd been right here in Hawaii, drinking his beer with Junior, petting Eddie, and Junior had made her sleep in his bed so that she wouldn't drive back to her hotel. Steve had just laid in his sheets after that, hoping to catch a whiff of her. He never had.

"Can I make a suggestion?" Danny asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes," Steve said.

"You wanna go clear your head, get some clarity? Go, uh, go to Jersey," Danny said.

Steve laughed.

"I'm being serious," Danny protested.

"I know you're being serious," Steve told him, "I knew you were going to say that."

Long after Danny left, long into the night, Steve lay awake thinking of her. And when he did fall asleep, he dreamt of her in his arms again.


	32. 10x22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started as a note in my phone late at night on April 3 saying "AU where Catherine wasn't on that plane." This is where that took me. 133 pages, 48k words later, I'm done. Hope you all enjoyed this journey as much as I did.

**10x22 Aloha**

"Welcome to Reno-Tahoe International Airport, folks. We should be landing in the next ten minutes. Please remain seated until the seatbelt light goes off," the pilot said over the intercom system. Steve sat patiently observing the passengers around him. He looked out the window, seeing the low mountains and utter brown scenery. When deciding where to go from Hawaii, he hadn't been particularly looking for anywhere to go. As he sat at his laptop and searched for plane tickets, he had somehow found himself typing "Carson City" into the search bar. He definitely should have called her or texted at the very least. But he was afraid to. He didn't want to hear that she didn't want to see him. Logically, he knew that she would never say anything like that, and she'd welcome him with open arms. But for some reason, his brain had been anxiously playing out scenarios of what would happen when she saw him for the first time in a long time. As the plane finally landed, Steve turned airplane mode off on his phone. He smiled at the text from Danny.

_Please come back. Your dog is driving me insane. He's exactly like you,_ the text said.

_Be nice. Both of you,_ he shot back. Putting his phone away, he stepped out into the aisle with the rest of the passengers. He felt his stomach turn at the thought of seeing her.

* * *

"Agent Kalakaua, there's a man in your office. He says he knows you," the young officer told her as she stepped out of the interrogation room.

"Did he give you a name?" Kono asked. The young woman shook her head.

"No ma'am, but if you don't mind me saying, he's quite attractive. He's got some very impressive tattoos. He wouldn't take no for an answer either. He insisted he'd wait until you were done," she said. Kono cocked her head, trying not to smile.

"Thank you. Book this guy, he's given us all he's going to. I'll go to my office now," she said. The officer nodded and headed into the interrogation room. Kono allowed herself to smile, wondering who exactly was in her office, though she had a strong suspicion of who it was. She strode into her office and came to a standstill when she saw that she was right. He turned around, and her small smile turned into a huge grin. His face broke into a matching smile. In two big steps he swept her into his arms. She laughed.

"It's been a while, Steve," she said. He nodded, still holding her.

"Too long," he said, before finally letting go. His hands rested on her arms.

"You look great. This suits you, having the big office, being the boss," he observed.

"It does. I enjoy making a difference. And the big office doesn't hurt," she said. He let go and stepped back.

"I'm happy for you, Kono," he said.

"So what brings you here?" she asked, moving toward her desk.

"I...uh...stepped down, at least for the time being," he said. She whirled around. Her brown eyes probed his blue ones, searching for the truth.

"You're serious," she said after a couple of seconds.

"Yeah, it was time. I made Five-0 my life for 10 years. I had spent so much time wrapped up in it that I realized I wasn't really living for anything any more. I came back to Hawaii to catch my dad's killer. That's long since over, and now my mom is gone too. I threw everything I had into that team, and it was exhausting. I need to find what I'm fighting for again," he explained.

"Yeah. I understand that feeling," she told him, finally allowing herself to sink down on the edge of her desk. Steve knew she did understand that feeling, probably more than he knew.

"So I got on a plane. I'm planning on going back, of course. But for now, I'm off doing some 'soul searching' as Danny called it," he said. She smiled at the mention of Danny.

Before they could say anything, the door opened. A breathless officer stood there.

"Ma'am, we think we've got something," he said. Kono was on her feet in an instant.

"I'll be right there," she said. The officer nodded and shut the door behind him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, turning to Steve. He shook his head.

"Don't be sorry. This is your job. I just showed up unannounced," he reminded her.

"I'll text you. We can grab dinner together," she promised him. He followed her out of the office.

"It's a date," he said, then realized what he had said. He got flustered. "I mean, it's uh, a plan. We'll plan on it. Yeah that's what we'll do," he tried to amend. She smiled at him.

"It's a date," she told him and pushed him teasingly. "Now let me do my job." He nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll see you later, boss," he said, grinning, pleased that he could use the nickname she had called him for seven years. She just shook her head, laughing, as she headed toward the commotion in the office.

He watched her for another second before he left. She was confident, self-assured, and a fantastic leader. He was proud of her and who she'd become. She clearly ran an efficient operation here, and he had heard of the great work she was doing even from Hawaii.

Now it was time to call Danny and come clean about where his first stop on his road to self-discovery was.

* * *

"Ohhhh, very interesting," Danny said, clearly in a way that meant he was reading too much into Steve's actions.

"What are you talking about, man?" he asked.

"I mean, it's very interesting that the first stop on your soul searching path was to stop and see how our former rookie, who you are in love with, is doing," Danny said.

"Danny, don't be ridiculous. I'm not expecting anything out of her. But I had to see her, and you should see her, man. She's an agent with the FBI. She's leading an official task force. Her office is organized, and her people respect her. You can see it on their faces," Steve told him.

"And she's no long your subordinate, so you could definitely convince her to go out with you again, which is convenient," Danny pointed out.

"That is not why I'm here," Steve protested.

"Sure it isn't buddy. But I'm curious, if Kono asked you out, would you say no?" Danny asked. Steve remained quiet, not sure how to bring up the fact that she had already called their dinner a date.

"Wait wait wait. Did she ask you out?" Danny asked, reading into the silence. Somehow he could read Steve's mind even with the Pacific Ocean and the state of California between them.

"Well, no. Not exactly. I mean, she said we could have dinner together. I slipped up and called it a date. And when I tried to correct myself, she told me it _was_ a date," he explained.

"Steven?"

"Yeah, man?"

"You're an idiot, you know that right?"

"Yeah," Steve said, sighing.

"Kono is a gorgeous woman who deserves the world. You two were so in love with each other that it even hurt _me_ when she left. Don't hurt her," Danny said.

"I'm going to try not to," Steve said, "But I'm not really sure how this is going to end."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Danny said, sighing.

* * *

Kono texted Steve as soon as she got off work.

_Just finished up for the weekend. Headed to my place to change. Pick you up from your hotel in 30 minutes?_

He sent her the address of his hotel. _Sounds good._

Kono knew she shouldn't be this nervous. They were just two old friends (and ex-lovers), grabbing dinner and catching up. He was going to leave in the next couple of days, and they probably wouldn't see each other for several more years. Still, she took the extra couple minutes to spray on perfume and clean up her living room before she left, you know, just in case. She was in front of his hotel exactly 28 minutes after she had texted him. And he was predictably walking out, already waiting on her.

"Hey," he said, getting into the car.

"Hey," she said. They sat in comfortable silence for a little while.

"I've never been to Carson City," Steve confessed, as they drove. The sun was setting behind the mountains.

"It's beautiful," Kono said. "It's nothing compared to Oahu, but the mountains are still fun to hike." He read between the lines.

"You miss the ocean," he said. She grinned, looking at him.

"I would kill to be able to go surfing," she admitted. He laughed.

"You can take the girl out of Hawaii but you can't take Hawaii out of the girl," he said. She nodded.

"I went surfing practically every single day for 30 years. It kills me not being near the ocean," she said.

"I get it. It's like a piece of you is missing," he said. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was watching her. She sighed deeply.

"Yeah. It is," she admitted. They pulled into the parking lot of Kono's favorite Chinese restaurant.

The servers were all Chinese immigrants, and Steve tried to impress her by ordering in Chinese. She grinned as she turned to the server and ordered in Chinese as well. Steve's mouth was hanging open when she finished, but he was half-grinning.

"I've learned a few things. A lot of the victims we encounter on the coasts are from Asian countries. I've picked up quite a bit of Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish while living here," she explained. She shrugged, sitting back in her chair. Steve's open-mouthed gape had turned into a nonchalant face, with just a hint of a smile.

"Well, I'm impressed," he told her. She smiled and changed the subject.

"How is everybody?" she asked. Steve looked away and took a deep breath.

"They're all good," he said. He knew she was genuinely wondering about everybody, but he also knew she was thinking of one member of Five-0 in particular — her ex-boyfriend. "Danny's upset that I left, but he took it pretty well. I think he got it more than most of the team that I needed to leave. Grover is also doing well. We added two new kids to the team after you left, Junior who I heard you met and Tani. They're an incredible asset to the team. They also just started dating each other, and I couldn't be happier for them. Just a short while ago we added an MP who had been reduced to writing speeding tickets on base. She's doing great with the team," he was clearly avoiding one name.

"Steve," she said softly. He made eye contact with her finally.

"Adam's doing good, Kono. He's a really great team member, and he's a great friend. We're lucky to have him," he told her.

"Good," she said, letting out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Steve tried to ask casually. She shook her head.

"No. After...you know," she gestured between them. "I just haven't found the right person. I've gone on a couple of dates, but nothing seems to work out," she said. He nodded.

"I'm in the same boat. I've gone out with a couple of girls, but I haven't found anyone that has made me want a long term relationship," he told her. His brain silently added on words that he wished he could say out loud. _Since you._

Their food came then, and they spent a couple of minutes eating in silence.

"My team really wants to meet you," Kono told him, grinning cheekily.

"Oh?" he asked.

"They want to meet the person who is supposedly responsible for making me an insane person," she said. He snorted.

"I had nothing to do with that. You had your own way of doing things, and I didn't discourage it," he said.

"Nah, brah," she told him. "Not to sound like Danny here, but I definitely learned how to break procedure from you." He laughed.

"What else does your team think about me?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Well, let me just tell you…" she said. They spent the next hour exchanging stories of their teams and their cases. After they finished, Steve snagged the check before she could even reach for it. She tried to protest, but Steve wouldn't give in. They got in her car, neither one ready for the night to end.

"I have a pack of beer in my fridge," she offered. They both knew that it was stepping into different territory if they went back to her apartment. He looked at her, holding eye contact for several seconds before he spoke.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed.

* * *

She brought him upstairs, and she locked the door behind her.

"Make yourself comfortable. I'll go grab the beers," she said, gesturing to her living room. It was a pretty spacious apartment. Steve tried not to notice the way her DVDs were stacked crookedly or the rushed cleaning that had clearly happened at some point that day. This was still very clearly Kono Kalakaua's messy home. She had a picture of the original Five-0 team sitting on a shelf. He smiled at the sight of it. She rounded the island in her kitchen and handed him a beer. He accepted it and gratefully took a sip. She kicked off her shoes. Steve watched her out of the corner of his eye, noticing how beautiful she looked in the simple black jeans and purple top. He shouldn't notice those things, really. But he wasn't her boss any more, and he couldn't help but let his mind explore the thought that she might still have feelings for him. She flopped down next to him on the couch and took a sip of beer.

"This doesn't have to be anything. I can sleep on the couch, and you can go sleep in your bedroom. By the time you wake up, I can be gone," he offered, breaking the tense silence. She took a long drink of beer and set it on the table. She turned to look him in the eye. He was caught off guard by the intense look that met him.

"Steve McGarrett, I spent seven years working with you. Those first couple of years were absolute torture. I adored you, and I knew it was stupid. I had this embarrassing schoolgirl crush on my _boss_." He flinched when she said that word like it was a curse word. "Then I met Adam. I was still attracted to you, of course, but I loved Adam. Then Adam was out of the picture. You and I had a good thing. I really wanted to make a go of it. But you were my boss. We couldn't… Anyway, you're not my boss. You're single. I'm single. We're sitting in my apartment, drinking beer, and _I'm still so in love with you_ that it physically hurts me to be around you without telling you. If you think for one second that I'm going to let you sleep on the couch and walk out of here in the morning without saying a word, you are more of an idiot than I thought you were," she declared. Her voice was sure, and she was confident in what she wanted. Steve set his beer on the table next to hers. He felt his heart racing, and he was sure that this was what he wanted more than anything in the world. In the blink of an eye, he crushed her lips with his own. Years of unreleased tension let itself out in their frantic kisses. His hands were in the hair that he had dreamed of running his fingers through again. Her hands were rubbing across his arms, his chest, and then playing with the edge of his t-shirt. He stood up, pulling her with him. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips so that their mouths would stay connected, and he supported her legs with his hands. He strode confidently to where her bedroom was, despite having never been in her apartment before. He threw her on her own bed. She made a noise, almost a growl, and Steve had never wanted her more desperately than he had at that moment. The movements of their hands were quick and needy, trying to inhale each other and make up for lost time.

When it was all over, they lay on the bed, panting quietly in the darkness. Her body was half draped over his.

"Steve?" she asked, her voice drowsy.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Don't leave," she said. His heart broke, thinking of his plans to get on another plane in two days.

"I won't," he said, making up his mind in the space of a heartbeat. "I can't."

"Why?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper now.

"I think I found myself. You took a piece of my heart all of those years ago when you left, and I've been looking for it ever since. I love you so much. Now sleep, Kono. I'll still be here in the morning," he promised.

And he was.

And the next morning.

And the morning after that.

And every morning right up until the day that he proposed. And after that, he was still there, every morning, in their home in Hawaii, where they both knew their hearts would bring them back to. He was still there the day they got married. He was still there the day she went into labor for the first time. He was still there for every morning, as long as he could be. He was there until death parted them.

She couldn't have asked for a better life with him. When he walked onto that beach when she was 24, about to graduate from the academy, and he offered her a job, neither of them knew that that was the spark that would ignite a flame that would last their whole lives.


End file.
